Ecuador is implementing a project to control the fruit fly

The fruit fly affects papaya, mango, tangerine, melon, guava and other crops. There are more than 4…

The fruit fly affects papaya, mango, tangerine, melon, guava and other crops.

There are more than 40 species of flies in the country that belong to the two genders that decrease the fruit's quality and lower yields by destroying the pulps, rotting the fruits, or ripening them prematurely.

Agrocalidad is implementing a project to control this harmful pest.

Becky Herrera, consultant to the General Coordination of Plant Protection, said that this insect's attack on fruit was one of the limitations that prevented Ecuador from exporting its national products.

Comprehensive approach
Cesar Cherrez, responsible for plant health in Agrocalidad, said that they would apply various techniques, such as traps, preventive measures, good crop management, identification of areas free of this plague to comprehensively control the pest.

According to estimates, as part of this project, more than a thousand farmers in several counties in the province will be trained on topics such as making their own traps for flies and other forms of preventing their attack and proliferation.

Cherrez stated that this initiative would also prevent the farmers from abusing the applications of agrochemicals, which would affect the consumers' health, in their search for controlling the insects.

Losses
Javier Zambrano, district coordinator at Agrocalidad, said the fruit fly had a high impact on the economy of farmer families who grow fruit, as they can lose between 30 to 100 percent of their crops because of this pest.