FRUIT BAGGING TO CONTROL FRUIT FLIES
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| (Photo: L. Leblanc) | Bagged guavas (Photo: L. Leblanc) |
Fruits can be easily protected against fruit flies by bagging them in newspaper bags. The bag provides a physical protection to the fruit by preventing adult female flies laying eggs. Bagging has been used for a very long time in Asia by commercial planters and smallholder farmers. The carambola export industry in Malaysia, worth 10 Million US$ in 1994, protects entire orchards by bagging. This has been successfully practiced for over 70 years. It is also widely practiced to protect mangoes in Thailand and Philippines and melons from melon fly in Taiwan. Bagging is inexpensive and easy to apply and guarantees nearly complete protection from fruit flies. It is ideal for small scale growers who do not use pesticides.
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Bagged carambolas in Malaysia (Photo: A. Allwood) |
Page updated on: 17 October, 2002