PlantwisePlus Blog

Paul Graham, Pest Management Officer, demonstrates how to prepare the trap (Photo courtesy of Paul Graham)

Two Plant Health Rallies have recently been held in Grenada to raise awareness of the West Indian Fruit fly and promote the control of this pest using fruit fly bait stations. The rallies, which were organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, were aimed at local farmers with the first attracting 25 attendees and the second around 12. The farmers were given practical advice on how to make and use bait stations which they were able to take away with them afterwards. Thaddeus Peters (MoA) presented at one of the rallies explaining what damage the West Indian fruit fly causes and how the MoA and farmers can both play a part in controlling the pest. 

Jeanette Johnson filling fruit fly bait stations (Photo courtesy of Paul Graham)

The West Indian Fruit fly (Anastrepha obliqua) is a serious problem on plums, which these Plant Health Rallies focussed on. Farmers were shown McPhail traps and protein bait traps, both of which are safe, practical and effective methods of control. Earlier this year, MoA field teams placed bait stations in the St Patrick’s area. Farmers from the area indicated these stations have had a positive effect on their crops, allowing them to harvest and sell plums for the first time in several years.

Plant Health Rallies in Grenada have been a great success and the Pest Management Unit of the MoA who were running these events have already planned to run more rallies like this.

Read about Plant Health Rallies happening in other countries here.