Management of cucurbit fruit fly Dacus ciliates (Diptera: Tephritidae) and cotton whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) by botanical extracts and bioactive compounds as safe alternatives to squash

Abstract

The increasing infestation caused by cucurbit fruit fly Dacus ciliatus Loew (Diptera: Tephritidae) and the cotton whiteflyBemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), highlights the need for effective and environmentally compatible pest management alternatives in squash production. This study evaluated a diversified field treatment program comprising eight botanical extracts and bioactive compounds for suppressing these major insect pests and improving squash productivity. Pest infestation and population densities were assessed under treated and untreated field conditions, and treatment performance was evaluated based on reductions in D. ciliatus infestation, adult and nymphal B. tabaci populations, and crop yield. The selectedtreatment field markedly reduced pest density compared with theuntreated control. D. ciliatus infestation decreased from 63.92% in the untreated field to 21.67% following treatment, corresponding to a 66.1% reduction. Similarly, adult and nymphal B. tabaci populations were reduced by approximately 60.0% and 54.8%, respectively. Pest suppression was accompanied by a substantial improvement in squash yield, which increased from 4,635.92 to 8,501.15 kg feddan⁻¹. These findings indicate that integrating chemically diverse botanical and bioactive materials can provide simultaneous suppression of major squash pests and enhance crop productivity. Because the materials were evaluated as a combined management program, the observed effects cannot be assigned toindividual components. Overall, the evaluated strategy represents a promising component of integrated pest management for reducing both cucurbit fruit fly D. ciliatus, and the cotton whitefly B. tabaci in squash cultivation.