Response of citrus fruit flies (Bactrocera spp.) to the application of citronella oil as a pest repellent

Abstract

Abstract: The fruit fly is one of the major citrus pests. The study aimed to evaluate the repellency of citronella oil against Bactrocera spp. in citrus. The two experiments were carried out in a farmer’s citrus orchard in Junrejo, East Java, Indonesia from August to December 2022. In the first experiment, a randomized block design with five treatments and four replications was employed in the field to evaluate the potential repellency of citronella against Bactrocera spp. The treatments consisted of various mixtures of citronella and methyl eugenol. In the second experiment, the effect of one and two applications of 2 mL /L of citronella per week and synthetic pesticide on the population of Bactrocera spp. were compared. The results showed that citronella had a repellent capacity against Bactrocera spp. The number of pests trapped in citronella traps was lower than those captured in Methyl Eugenol traps only. The effectiveness of citronella as repellent for ten days. The one spraying per week of citronella was more efficient and effective in controlling Bactrocera spp. than other treatments. The use of citronella as a repellent could be integrated with the existing technologies to form an environmentally friendly package of fruit fly control approach.

Keywords

• Citronella oil
• Repellent
• Bactrocera spp.
• Citrus