News & Announcement
Training Programme on Protein Bait Spray to Manage Chinese Fruit Fly Conducted in Pakyong
Pakyong, April 29 (IPR): A comprehensive training-cum-awareness programme on the management of the Chinese fruit fly through protein bait spray was organised today by the Horticulture Department, Pakyong District, at the RDD Community Complex, Rurban Pakyong.
The initiative aimed to equip field-level functionaries with scientific knowledge and practical skills to tackle the Chinese fruit fly, a major pest threatening citrus fruit cultivation in the region.
Emphasising on agriculture as a scientific discipline, Additional Director of Horticulture and the Agriculture Department, Mr Tshering Chophel Bhutia, encouraged the field functionaries to work with sincerity and apply their skills and potential, both in the present and for future challenges.
Further, he underscored the importance of field engagement, being present, observant, and actively involved to stay updated. He reminded the attendees that upholding the reputation of the department is a shared responsibility.
Attendees were advised to use only accurate formulations, maintain proper records, and apply what they have learnt effectively. He further encouraged collaborative work and regular field documentation to create meaningful success stories.
During the session, Deputy Director of the Horticulture Department, Pakyong, Ms Hissay C Bhutia, delivered a presentation on various types of fruit flies, focusing on the Chinese fruit fly. She explained identification methods, including distinguishing features of male and female flies, their life cycle, and the damage caused by infestation, which reduces fruit yield and quality while increasing vulnerability to secondary infections.
Ms Hissay C Bhutia also discussed the preparation of food baits, pheromonic lures, and the use of different traps. She highlighted the specific characteristics of the Chinese fruit fly, its history, preference for citrus fruits, cold tolerance, and its link to sudden heavy fruit drop in oranges.
She also shared management practices for the Chinese fruit fly through cultural, biological, and botanical methods, with special emphasis on protein bait spray as an effective control measure.
Likewise, Deputy Director of the Horticulture Department, Gangtok, and resource person for the programme, Ms Tashi Choki Bhutia, presented on the Area Wide Control Programme (AWCP) for managing Chinese citrus fruit fly in Sikkim mandarin, a premium citrus crop prone to severe damage from Chinese citrus fruit fly, leading to significant qualitative and quantitative losses.
She explained the origin of the pest, its life cycle, egg, maggot, pupae, adult emergence, and oviposition stages, along with its behaviour, nature of damage, and modes of dispersal, including adult flight and movement through infested fruits.
Ms Tashi Choki Bhutia outlined the materials required for implementing AWCP, that is, protein bait, spinosad, knapsack sprayers, buckets, red ribbons for marking, and a dedicated spray team. She also explained the calculation of bait solution, the number of spray spots based on the fruiting trees, and the identification of the correct branches for spraying.
She emphasised that the bait should be spot sprayed on the underside of leaves, repeated ten times after seven days, and that the spray solution must be freshly prepared each time.
Further, she shared photographs and outcomes of a previous spray programme to demonstrate its success. She also highlighted ground-level challenges in spray implementation and urged regular follow-up and proper record maintenance.
An interactive session allowed participants to clarify doubts, followed by a hands-on demonstration of bait preparation and spraying techniques led by Mr Sangay Bhutia, Horticulture Inspector and programme resource person.
The programme was attended by the Deputy Director, Majhitar Subdivision, along with Horticulture Development Officers, Horticulture Inspectors, Village Level Workers, Field Assistants, and Organic Field Assistants of the Horticulture Department from various subdivisions under the district.
The initiative aimed to equip field-level functionaries with scientific knowledge and practical skills to tackle the Chinese fruit fly, a major pest threatening citrus fruit cultivation in the region.
Emphasising on agriculture as a scientific discipline, Additional Director of Horticulture and the Agriculture Department, Mr Tshering Chophel Bhutia, encouraged the field functionaries to work with sincerity and apply their skills and potential, both in the present and for future challenges.
Further, he underscored the importance of field engagement, being present, observant, and actively involved to stay updated. He reminded the attendees that upholding the reputation of the department is a shared responsibility.
Attendees were advised to use only accurate formulations, maintain proper records, and apply what they have learnt effectively. He further encouraged collaborative work and regular field documentation to create meaningful success stories.
During the session, Deputy Director of the Horticulture Department, Pakyong, Ms Hissay C Bhutia, delivered a presentation on various types of fruit flies, focusing on the Chinese fruit fly. She explained identification methods, including distinguishing features of male and female flies, their life cycle, and the damage caused by infestation, which reduces fruit yield and quality while increasing vulnerability to secondary infections.
Ms Hissay C Bhutia also discussed the preparation of food baits, pheromonic lures, and the use of different traps. She highlighted the specific characteristics of the Chinese fruit fly, its history, preference for citrus fruits, cold tolerance, and its link to sudden heavy fruit drop in oranges.
She also shared management practices for the Chinese fruit fly through cultural, biological, and botanical methods, with special emphasis on protein bait spray as an effective control measure.
Likewise, Deputy Director of the Horticulture Department, Gangtok, and resource person for the programme, Ms Tashi Choki Bhutia, presented on the Area Wide Control Programme (AWCP) for managing Chinese citrus fruit fly in Sikkim mandarin, a premium citrus crop prone to severe damage from Chinese citrus fruit fly, leading to significant qualitative and quantitative losses.
She explained the origin of the pest, its life cycle, egg, maggot, pupae, adult emergence, and oviposition stages, along with its behaviour, nature of damage, and modes of dispersal, including adult flight and movement through infested fruits.
Ms Tashi Choki Bhutia outlined the materials required for implementing AWCP, that is, protein bait, spinosad, knapsack sprayers, buckets, red ribbons for marking, and a dedicated spray team. She also explained the calculation of bait solution, the number of spray spots based on the fruiting trees, and the identification of the correct branches for spraying.
She emphasised that the bait should be spot sprayed on the underside of leaves, repeated ten times after seven days, and that the spray solution must be freshly prepared each time.
Further, she shared photographs and outcomes of a previous spray programme to demonstrate its success. She also highlighted ground-level challenges in spray implementation and urged regular follow-up and proper record maintenance.
An interactive session allowed participants to clarify doubts, followed by a hands-on demonstration of bait preparation and spraying techniques led by Mr Sangay Bhutia, Horticulture Inspector and programme resource person.
The programme was attended by the Deputy Director, Majhitar Subdivision, along with Horticulture Development Officers, Horticulture Inspectors, Village Level Workers, Field Assistants, and Organic Field Assistants of the Horticulture Department from various subdivisions under the district.