The Effect of Gum Extract and Natural Sex Pheromone Traps of Carob Moth Ectomyelois Ceratoniae Zeller (Lep. Pyralidae) on Pest Damage and its Eggs Parasitism by Trichogramma Brassicae Bezdenko

Carob moth Ectomyelois ceratoniae Zell. (Lep.: Pyralidae) is the most important pest reducing the quality and the quantity of pomegranate trees products. Damage at the beginning of the spring causes shedding of the pomegranate flowers and fruits. In this study the effects of the gum extract of Ferula assa-foetida L. (Apiaceae) and natural sex pheromone of Carob moth was studied in 2010-2011 in the pomegranate orchard of Agricultural Research Center of Yazd. Three treatments including gum extract spray، natural sex pheromone traps and pheromone traps + gum extract (push-pull) were studied. In another experiment the effects of four concentrations of gum extract including 2، 3، 4 and 5 ml/l were studied on parasitism and mortality rate of Tricograma brasica (Hym. Trichogrammidae) at 25 ±20C، 55±5 RH and 16 h: 8 h L: D. All Experiments had control. The results showed that there were significant differences at 1% probability level between percent of pomegranates collected from under the trees، percent of pomegranates cracked due to carob moth damage and percent of cracked and rotten pomegranates in treatments studied. There were significant differences between percent of pomegranates cracked and the pomegranates cracked containing larvae at 5% probability level. The results showed that push pull treatment were more effective in reducing pest damage compared to the other methods. According to the results، use of gum extract in the push-pull strategy for controlling carob moth has no negative effect on parasitism activity of Trichogramma. Use of sex pheromones and gum extract decreased the carob moth population and it can reduce the control costs and the chemicals usage with attracting the pest to a predicted area