EFFECT OF NEEM DERIVATIVES ON INFESTATION, SETTLING AND OVIPOSITION OF MELON FRUIT FLY (BACTROCERA CUCURBITAE COQ.) (TEPHRITIDAE: DIPETRA)

In order to evaluate the effect of neem oil and neem seed water extract on the infestation, settling and oviposition of melon fruit fly, (Bactrocera cucurbitae Coq.), field as well as laboratory trials were conducted on Bukhara variety of melon at Hathala, D.I.Khan. Neem oil and neem seed extract were prepared from fresh neem seeds collected from the area and different concentrations of 1, 1.5 and 2% and 1, 2 and 3% were made in water to spray in the fields, respectively. The concentrations viz., 1000, 5000 and 10,000 ppm, of both neem oil and neem seed extract were used in laboratory tests. In the field trials, neem oil and neem seed water extract at all tested concentrations reduced the fruit fly infestation. Significantly less number of pupae were recovered from the randomly selected fruits in the treated plots as compared to control. The effect of both neem derivatives was dose dependent. However, adult emergence of the flies was not affected at any level of concentration. In laboratory test, both neem oil and neem seed water extract at 10,000 ppm adversely affected the settling of melonfruit fly; as 1.7 flies and 1.7 flies on fruits treated with 10,000 ppm of neem oil and 10,000 ppm of neem seed water extract, respectively, were significantly lower than 6.3 and 7.3 flies in their respective control. Similarly pupal recovery at all tested concentrations of neem oil and neem seed water extract were statistically lower than that in their respective control.