Impact of Eco-Friendly PAU Fruit Fly Traps against Fruit Flies Infesting Guava under Central Punjab Conditions

Guava (Psidium guajava L.) is one of the most important commercial fruits grown in Punjab. However, fruit flies, Bactrocera spp. are considered the key insect pests of guava causing heavy yield losses ranging from 10-100 per cent and quality degradation. Methyl eugenol based eco-friendly pheromone traps (PAU Fruit Fly Traps) were tested at farmer’s fields in guava during 2023 and 2024 in the central Punjab. In the demonstrated technology, the fruit infestation was only 20.99 per cent while maximum percentage was recorded in untreated control (55.67 %). Similarly, yield was highest (88.06 q/ha) in technology demonstrated orchards in comparison to untreated control (83.69 q/ha). Similar trend was observed for maximum number of marketable fruits (365 fruits/plant) in the treated plots, as compared to 222 fruits/plant in untreated control. Mean fruit yield was also highest i.e. 57.8 kg/tree in technology demonstrated orchards as compared to untreated control with 37.8 kg/tree.After harvesting of crop, an average of 6899 fruit flies was collected from PAU fruit fly traps.