PJB-2018-394
ROLE OF NATURAL ENEMIES FIELD RESERVOIR ESTABLISHED ON FARMER FIELDS IN CONTROLLING PAPAYA MEALY BUG AT KARACHI
Riaz Mahmood
Abstract
Study was conducted in 2015-16 to assess the role of maintaining pesticides free natural enemies field reservoir (NEFR) for controlling papaya mealy bug Paracoccus marginatus William Granara de Willink. The NEFR was established at Memon Goth- Karachi. Papaya was grown here on about a hectare. A shelter was provided alongside the border of papaya orchard where field collected mealy bug infested farm debris was kept in trays open from above for 15 days. From debris thousands of parasitoid Acerophagus papayae Noyes & Schauff and generalists associated with mealy bug could be produced almost round the year. The parasitoid and the predators produced from mealy bug infested farm debris under NEFR shelter could naturally disperse into the environment around. Dispersal range of A. papayae was followed both in direction of sea side winds from NEFR and in opposite direction. Dispersal of the parasitoid and the predators was found more convenient to fields from NEFR in direction of sea side winds where dense colonies of the mealy bug became rare because of increasing trend in parasitism in the mealy bug and increase in predators numbers. On opposite direction of the winds mealy bug dense colonies were encountered comparatively more as parasitism was comparatively less
Keywords: Acerophagus papayae Noyes & Schauff, Paracoccus marginatus William Granara de Willink, natural enemies’ field reservoir
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