Department of Entomology, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, Trichur-680 654 (India).
*A part of M.Sc., (Ag.) thesis submitted by Shri Cherian Thomas to Kerala Agricultural University, Trichur, Kerala (India).
The bioe~cicay of carbofuran against the melon fruit fly, Dacus cucurbitae Coq. and its residue dynamics in bittergourd was investigated. Application of carbofuran @ 1.5 kg a.i./ha at the time of sowing, vining and flowering of bittergourd crop was the most effective treatment giving 8335 per cent reduction over control. But the residues were very high above the Maximum Residue Limit. Therefore, application of carbofuran to bittergourd at vining stage and thereafter is not desirable due to the high level of terminal residues persisting in the bittergourd fruit.
