Effect of cover kinds of pomegranate fruits for the damage reduction of pomegranate fruit moth, Ectomyelois ceratoniae (Lep., Pyralidae) in Saveh region

Subject Areas : entomology and othea arthropods

B. Rafiei ¹ , H. Farazmand ² , Sh. Goldasteh ³ , T. Sheikhali ⁴

1 - Department of Entomology, Islamic Azad University, Arak Branch, Iran
2 - موسسه تحقیقات گیاه پزشکی کشور
3 - دانشگاه آزاد اراک
4 - Department of Entomology, Islamic Azad University, Arak Branch, Iran

Received: 2010-09-06 Accepted : 2011-02-05 Published : 2010-05-22

Keywords:

Abstract :

Pomegranate fruit moth (PFM), Ectomyelois ceratoniae (Lep., Pyralidae), is one of the most important pests of pomegranate in Iran. The larvae of E. ceratoniae cause damage to pomegranate fruits. Several different methods including collecting and burning of infected fruits and biological control have been examined to control this pest, but these were not effective. One way that may prevent fruits infection is obstruction from laying eggs by the moth inside the fruit crown. In the present study, the effect of three types of fruit covers, including complete covering made by fabric net, crown covering with a plastic cap and crown covering with a cap made by fabric net on fruit infection rate were tested. The result showed that the mean infection rates were 9.50 and 2% for control and crown covering with a cap made by fabric net, respectively, so crown covering can reduce fruit damage by 78%. Comparison of flower and fruit drop, fruit cracking, cover stability and PFM infection indices between treatments indicated that using a cop made by fabric net on crown, in early May to early July, can be recommended for PFM control.