The Ministry of Agriculture, Water, Livestock, and Fisheries has reiterated to citrus growers the need to increase vigilance against the fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata) during the color change and ripening phases, as this is one of the moments of greatest vulnerability for the crop.
According to the technical recommendations of the regional Plant Health service, the period of greatest risk in citrus is from just before the veraison and throughout the autumn months, so it is considered essential to regularly monitor the plots and locate the first damaged fruits as soon as possible.
The Generalitat reminds that the fruit fly can attack both citrus and other fruit trees and complete several annual generations when environmental conditions are favorable. Females insert eggs into the fruits at the beginning of ripening, and the larvae develop inside, causing damage to the pulp and subsequently favoring the fruit drop.
Therefore, the Ministry of Agriculture emphasizes the convenience of adjusting control strategies to the reality of each farm and reinforcing observation in the most sensitive varieties or those close to harvest.
Among the recommended measures is the removal of damaged fruits, both those that remain on the tree and those that have already fallen to the ground, as they act as a reservoir and contribute to the maintenance and spread of the pest. Additionally, it is urged to monitor the presence of other host fruit trees in the vicinity of the citrus plots, especially when they may harbor populations of Ceratitis capitata.
Pest monitoring can be carried out using food or sexual traps, complemented by direct observation of the first punctured fruits. The technical instructions highlight the importance of paying special attention to the extra-early varieties and, at the end of the campaign, to the late varieties.
Furthermore, it is possible to use mass trapping and attraction and death systems, always following the technical indications and the established usage conditions for each method. These tools are compatible with other forms of control applied against the fruit fly.
Actions adapted to each plot
The intensity and frequency of interventions must be defined based on the characteristics of each plot, the planted variety, the ripeness of the fruit, the weather, and the level of pest presence.
When a phytosanitary intervention is deemed necessary, only products authorized for the crop must be used, respecting the doses, application conditions, and established safety periods. The technical recommendations emphasize the need to combine the different available tools and avoid unnecessary treatments if the population levels do not justify an action.
The control of Ceratitis capitata takes on special relevance in the phases close to ripening and harvesting, both to minimize direct damage to the fruit and to reduce the sources from which the pest can spread to other farms.
The Conselleria makes phytosanitary alerts and updated technical recommendations available to the sector through the Agrarian Portal, where farmers can consult information on monitoring, treatments, and preventive measures against the main pests and diseases affecting Valencian crops.