Trap crop strategy for management of fruit fly in cucurbit vegetables

Abstract:

"The best trap is the one the pest chooses willingly"—a principle that guided this research into using preferred host plants to divert fruit flies away from commercial cucurbit crops. Five trap crop strategies were tested against Bactrocera cucurbitae and related species in zucchini and cucumber fields at the Universidad Agrícola del Bajío, Guanajuato, Mexico, across three growing seasons (March 2022-October 2024). The combined strategy—bitter gourd trap rows plus cue-lure baited traps—reduced fruit fly infestation from 34.7% in untreated controls to 12.6%, a 63.7% reduction. Bitter gourd alone cut infestation by 36.3%, while cue-lure traps alone achieved 47.3% reduction. Bactrocera cucurbitae accounted for 62% of all trapped specimens. Marketable yield in the combined-strategy plots was 41.2% higher than in unprotected controls. The combined approach required no synthetic insecticide and cost roughly 35% less per hectare than calendar-based spray programmes, making it attractive for smallholder cucurbit growers in central Mexico.