Studies on plant volatile mediating orientation behaviour of adult litchi fruit borer Conopomorpha sinensis Bradley and evaluation of plant and animal derived natural formulations for its management

Abstract

Litchi fruit borer is one among the major devastating pest of litchi causing fruit damage newlineand yield loss. The present experiment was carried out to study the orientation behavior of adult newlinelitchi fruit borer toward different plant volatiles through olfactory studies. The biochemical newlineanalysis of different plant parts was carried out to find out the volatiles along with its concentration newlinepresent in different parts of litchi plant. Field efficacy of different natural formulations against newlinelitchi fruit borer were also studied. Laboratory analysis of deterrence of these formulations to adult newlinefruit borer moth was also studied through olfactometer studies. The diversity of different insect newlinepest and natural enemies during the period of study was also recorded. The population dynamics of newlineinsect pest in relation with different weather parameters was also established. newlineA total no of 16 insect pest, one mite and 13 natural enemies were reported during the newlinecourse of study. Amongst them, litchi fruit borer, litchi bug and leaf roller were found in close newlineassociation with the plant and were categorized as major pest; causing significant damage and newlineyield loss to the plant. The findings from multiple liner regression analysis of different weather newlineparameters with population of litchi fruit borer showed that; the insect population is influenced by newlinea combination of maximum temperature, maximum relative humidity, and wind velocity, with newlinepositive coefficients indicating that an increase in the values of these independent variables is newlineassociated with an increase in the population of litchi fruit borer. newlineThe biochemical analysis of different litchi plant parts revealed that revealed that terpenes, newlinealcohols, and esters were the main chemical compounds present in the volatiles emitted from newlinevarious litchi tissues, with terpenes comprising 21%, alcohols comprising 3%, and esters newlinecomprising 2%. The biochemical analysis of methanolic extracts from normal and mite-infested newlineleaves indicated the presence of 41 phytochemicals in normal leaves and 42 in mite infested newlineleaves. newlineThe preference of fruit borer moth towards different plant parts were studied through newlineolfactometer studies and it was found that there were differences in the taxes behaviour of female newlineand male adult litchi fruit borer adults towards different tissues of the litchi tree, specifically newlinefemale litchi fruit borer adults were found to exhibit a stronger preference for the host tissues newlinecompared to the male adults. newlineEfficacy of different botanicals and natural formulations against litchi fruit borer were newlinestudied under field condition for both the years. Laboratory studies on olfactory behavior of adult newlinemoth towards these formulations were also studied through olfactometer. Amongst the treatments, newlinepanchagavya and lantana was found most and least effective against litchi fruit borer, respectively. newlineSimilar findings were also recorded under laboratory condition. Panchagavya showed maximum newlinerepellent against the adult moth of fruit borer. Whereas, vermiwash showed the least repellant newlineactiv newline