case 9- Kabanjahe, North Sumatra, Indonesia, 2023

Citrus cultivation is a vital sector in Indonesia, contributing significantly to the economy and providing employment for rural communities. Despite its economic importance, the industry faces challenges from pests, notably the orienta fruit fly(Bactrocera dorsalis), which poses a threat to fruit quality and yield. Infestations lead to premature fruit drop and economic losses for farmers. Effective pest management is crucial to ensure the sustainability of Indonesia's citrus cultivation and maintain its role in global markets.

Based on the market investigation and friendly communication with our local trip during and after the first trip to Indonesia, We decided to run trials on citrus for fruit fly control. First we will identify trials plots. Once succeed, we will have great chance to enter the fruit fly control industry in Indonesia.

Ecoman has identified 7 plots of citrus farms in Kinepen, Kabanjahe. In the end we got 4 ha(plot 1, 2&3,4) for

this fruit fly control program and plot 5, 6&7 for fruit fly population monitoring.

Fruit Fly Population Monitoring

The mini traps with ME lure were installed during our stay in Kabanjahe to monitor the fruit fly population change in plot #1 ~plot #4. Most of the traps are placed in the boundary areas of the plots. After more than three months of checking and observation, we saw the increasing number of fruit flies in the traps. Plot 1&2 are of high fruit fly population. From the chart, it is evident that after two months of GFFB(Great Fruit Fly Bait) application, the fruit fly population in all four trial plots started to decline. The downward trend is more pronounced in plot 1 and plot 2, indicating the significant effectiveness of our GFFB in controlling and preventing fruit fly infestations.

Harvest Information

Harvest season: March, July, September, December are the harvest month for the citrus, while September is the

biggest harvest month

The fruits will be classified into 6 different grades according to the size and quality, The production of grade AB and C will account for 20% of the total production and will be shipped to the supermarkets in Jakarta, the rest 4 kinds of grade D will be consumed locally.

Farmers Meeting & Education

Before the first spray, a farmer ’s meeting is necessary to educate them what is fruit fly, how does it infest fruits, how to control fruit fly. The training proved to be successful for the local farmers.

AWCP Application

The first step is to mix the bait and get the diluted bait with the dosage we informed, farmers can do it by themselves. We have prudently assigned 3 people to complete the remaining spraying tasks after the initial run. They will have access to all the necessary resources required for the subsequent application.

Efficacy evaluation

After 10 rounds of GFFB application, we observed significant benefits in terms of improved fruit quality, increased yield, increased income and reduced chemical usage.