Summary: | <i>Aulacaspis tubercularis</i> Newstead (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) is the main pest of mango, <i>Mangifera indica</i> L., in Spain, causing significant economic losses by aesthetic damage that reduce the commercial value of fruit. Bagging fruit with two commercial bags (a yellow satin paper and a white muslin cloth bag) was evaluated for control of <i>A. tubercularis</i> in two organic mango orchards during the 2020 cropping season in pursuit of the development of a mango IPM program to produce pest-free and residue-free fruits. Results from fruit damage evaluations at harvest showed that bagging significantly reduced pest incidence and fruit damage compared with non-bagged plots. Of the two bags evaluated, white muslin cloth bag provided higher levels of fruit protection from <i>A. tubercularis</i> damage, reducing the non-commercial fruit percentage by up to 93.42%. Fruit quality assessment indicated that weight and size of bagged fruit were significantly higher than the non-bagged. Paper-bagged mangoes showed higher whiteness and yellowness compared to the other treatments. Soluble solids content (ºBrix) was higher in paper-bagged fruit than all other treatment plots. The results from this study indicate that pre-harvest fruit bagging is effective at controlling <i>A. tubercularis</i> and should be integrated into an IPM program for Spanish mango production.
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