ABSTRACT:
This research aimed to determine the optimal size of guava fruits to be bagged, and to evaluate the efficiency of different bagging at the control of fruits flies, as well as their correlation with the fruit quality. The work was conducted in a commercial guava orchard of Paluma variety at the municipality of Crato, in Cariri region, Ceará, Brazil, from October 2011 until April 2012. Popcorn bags, parchment paper bags, newspaper bags, micropierced plastic bags, TNT and the control were tested in four groups of fruits diameters: first group (2.0 to 3.0 cm), second group (3.1 to 4.0 cm), third group (4.1 to 5.0 cm) and fourth group (5.1 to 6.0 cm). Fruits were collected when they became mature and after each collect they were transferred to the Laboratory of Entomology of the Federal University of Cariri in order to evaluate the fruit flies attacks and the physicochemical parameters of the fruits. Bagging the guava is effective to avoid attacks from fruit flies, regardless of the type of bag used. Moreover, one can recommend bagging the guava with diameter less than 2 cm. Fruits were heavier, larger in length and with better Brix degrees when bagged in newspaper bags, with diameters ranging from 4.1 to 5.0 cm. On the other hand, to obtain fruits with larger diameters, one can recommend bagging the fruits with 5.1 to 6.0 cm in diameter.
KEYWORDS:
mechanical control; orchading; frugivorous flies; Psidium guajava
