Evaluation of mango varieties against fruit borer, Citripestis eutraphera (Meyrick) under humid tropics in Gujarat, India

Abstract

Evaluation of 12 mango varieties/hybrids was carried out against the mango fruit borer, Citripestis eutraphera (Meyrick), (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) at Agriculture Experimental Station, Navsari Agriculture University, Paria, Gujarat during two consecutive years (2022 and 2023). Pooled results showed that mango varieties Ratna, Totapuri Neelam, Vellaikolamban, Neeleshan and Vanraj were proved least preferred by the fruit borer recording lowest fruit borer infestation (2 to 5 % and 13 to 15% on standing tree and dropped fruits under tree, respectively) followed by Dashehari, Amrapali and Sonpari which recorded 4.65, 5.76, 5.39 per cent and 23.17, 24.28, 22.93 per cent fruit borer infestation in terms of standing tree and dropped fruits under tree, respectively. Whereas Alphonso and Kesar were most preferred varieties by fruit borer recording 9.28 and 7.08 per cent infestation on standing tree and 31.12 and 24.99 per cent dropped fruits infestation under tree, respectively. The overall highest damage intensity was found during first fortnight of May in most of the varieties.