BIOEFFICACY OF DIFFERENT PLANT EXTRACTS AGAINST MELON FRUIT FLY IN BITTER GOURD

An experiment was carried out during the year 2009 to find the bio-efficacy of different plant extracts against melon fruit fly, bactrocera cucurbitae (coquillett) (diptera: tephritidae) in bitter gourd (momordica charantia l.), which is a serious pest of cucurbitaceous vegetables. the experiment consisted of three varieties ambika, rama krishna and phauja and five different treatments (including check) i.e. methomyl, neem seed extract, parthenium hysterophorus l. extract and eucalyptus leaves extract. all the botanicals showed significant results and minimized the percent damage as compared to the check. the minimum population of melon fruit fly adults m-² were found in methomyl and neem seed extract treatments, followed by parthenium plant extract and eucalyptus leaves extract. the maximum adults m-² were found in the control plots. the minimum percent damage (41.94%) was found in neem seed extract treated plots. the results of the experiment revealed that botanicals can be replaced for the management of melon fruit flies instead of using the synthetic pesticides in order to save the environment from their hazards.