Effect of Combination between Insecticide and Fruit Bagging for the Control of Durian Fruit Borer, Conogethes punctiferalis Guenée (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)

Abstract

The durian fruit borer, Conogethes punctiferalis (Guenée) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), is a serious insect pest of durian cv. Monthong, and integrated pest management is the best strategy to protect the plant. The objective of this research was to compare the integrated methods, which used insecticide and fruit bagging with spun-bonded bag or blue nylon bag, with farmer’s practice to manage durian fruit borer. The research was conducted from November 2022 to September 2023 at a durian orchard of the Faculty of Agriculture in Thung Yai District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province. The experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three treatments and three replications. The three treatment combinations were as follows: 1) spray of insecticide + fruit bagging with spun-bonded bag, 2) spray of insecticide + fruit bagging with blue nylon bag, and 3) spray of insecticide + fruit bagging with plastic bag (farmer’s practice). All tactics provided 100% protection of durian fruit from durian fruit borer. The durians from all tactics did not differ in fruit weight and quality, and no insecticide residues were detected. Additionally, the highest benefit cost ratio of 12.84 was obtained from the combination of insecticide spray and fruit bagging with spun-bonded bag, followed by insecticide spray and fruit bagging with plastic bag (12.21), and insecticide spray and fruit bagging with blue nylon bag (11.18), respectively. This study demonstrated that the integrated method of insecticide spray and fruit bagging combined with spun-bonded bag is a highly effective strategy in preventing damage from durian fruit borer while protecting the environment and creating a more sustainable agroecosystem.