DOI: 10.5061/dryad.ncjsxkt4t
title: Data from: Impact of agroecological protection practices against cucurbit infesting fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Morogoro, Tanzania

description: Introduction: Fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) pose a severe threat to
 cucurbit crops worldwide, with potential losses ranging from 30% to 100%.
 This study evaluated the effectiveness of agroecological and conventional
 protection practices, compared to untreated controls, in managing fruit
 fly infestations across different seasons in Morogoro, East-Central
 Tanzania. Methodology: The study was conducted from March 2021 to
 September 2022. Field experiments employed a Randomized Complete Block
 Design with five replications tested three practices: agroecological crop
 protection, conventional pest management using synthetic pesticides, and
 untreated control. Each 45m x 45m plot contained watermelon, squash, and
 cucumber. Data on fruit blemishes, infestation rates, and yield (kg/ha)
 were analyzed using R software. Results: Percentage of blemished fruits
 and infestation rates by Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Coquillet), Dacus ciliatus
 Loew, and Dacus vertebratus Bezzi were significantly affected by the
 interaction of management practices, seasons, and crop species, with the
 lowest infestation rates in conventional plots, followed by agroecological
 plots. Yield was significantly influenced by the interaction of season,
 crops, and management practice. Untreated control plots produced
 significantly less yield than those under agroecological and conventional
 management. Conclusion: Agroecological practices effectively reduced fruit
 fly populations and blemished fruits, enhancing yield over consecutive
 seasons. These practices are comparable to conventional methods in
 mitigating fruit fly infestations in cucurbit crops.
description: Experimental setup and data collection 1.
 Experimental setup <strong>Data were collected
 from 30 experimental plots established in two agroecological zones of the
 Morogoro region, namely mountainous and plateau. These zones were chosen
 because they are known to have a high prevalence of cucurbit crops, which
 were the focus of the current research, as well as the presence of
 cucurbit flies that have been reported in the area </strong>(Geurts
 et al. 2012; Mwatawala et al. 2006, 2009)<strong>
 </strong> <strong>The experimental plots
 were set up in a factorial design using a randomized complete block design
 (RCBD) with five replications for each agroecological zone as study areas
 and the three farming practices as treatments. Experiments were conducted
 for four seasons: </strong>March to June<strong>
 </strong>2021 (First season), July to September 2021 (Second
 season), March to June 2022 (Third season) and July to September 2022
 (Fourth season).<strong> </strong> Crop
 protection practices tested were;
 <strong>ACP</strong> <strong>practices
 </strong>(formulated by GAMOUR): Attracting pollinating insects and
 trapping cucurbit infesting fruit flies using border crop (maize in our
 case); Mass trapping of flies and spot application of baits on border
 crop, in this case GF120 (Spinosad 0.24g/l) and Bio lure; Mulching using
 organic materials; Field sanitation by collecting damaged fruits and
 disposing them in an augmentarium and application of organic fertilizers
 (farmyard manure). GF120 was sprayed on the border crop at the intervals
 of seven days from when the cucurbits started to flower until seven days
 before harvest. We mixed GF120 and water at a dilution ratio of 1 L
 GF120:7 L water. 0.016 L of a mixture was sprayed on the upper side of
 maize leaves on a 0.4 m<sup>2</sup> spot and after every 10 m.
 Biolure was also placed on the border crop and changed weekly until seven
 days before harvesting. <strong>Conventional
 practices</strong>: Included application of an insecticide
 Amadine<sup>®</sup> 40EC (Dimethoate 400g/l, Shandong Binnong
 Technology Co. Ltd, China), at an application rate of 2.5 L/Ha; fungicide
 Daconil<sup>®</sup> 720SC (Chlorothalonil 720g/l, Syngenta
 Crop Protection Ag, Switzerland), at an application rate 2.0 L/Ha;
 Industrial fertilizers (N: P: K 15:9:20 and CAN 15:4:26, basal and top
 dressing fertilizers, respectively). A tank mix of fungicide and
 insecticide was sprayed six times per season at the interval of 14 days
 from when 75% of the crops had emerged up to 14 days before harvest. In a
 20 L sprayer tank, 0.125 L and 0.05 L of Chlorothalonil and Dimethoate,
 respectively, were mixed in a 20 L of water and sprayed on the cucurbits.)
 Untreated control plots: Plots without management practices except
 irrigation during the dry season and weeding were used as
 controls.<strong> Resulting in a total of 30 experimental plots
 grouped in 10 replication sites (i.e. five replication sites for each of
 the two agroecological zones, three plots per site, one for each
 treatment). Each replication site consisted of three plots, one for each
 treatment, and within each plot, three types of cucurbit crops were grown:
 watermelon, cucumber, and squash. The size of each plot was 45 meters by
 45 meters, equal to 2025 square meters, and a distance of 100 meters
 separated the plots within replication sites.</strong>
 2. Data collection <em>Number of
 blemished fruits by cucurbit flies</em>
 <strong>Data on the number of blemished fruits were
 collected randomly from 45 plants tagged for each cucurbit crop in each
 plot. The percentage of blemished fruits was recorded cumulatively from
 the fruit set through the harvesting stages. Fruits were sampled after
 they were set. The collected data were then transformed into a percentage
 of blemished fruits following methods described by </strong>Ghule et
 al. (2013) and Mwatawala et al.
 (2015)<strong>.</strong>
 <strong><em>Infestation
 rates</em></strong> <strong>Fruits
 were randomly sampled from each plot per crop. The collected fruits were
 taken to the Sokoine University of Agriculture rearing facility, weighed,
 and placed in rearing containers. The fruits were reared using plastic
 containers with dimensions of 25 cm by 15 cm by 11 cm. Sampling and
 rearing methods were adopted from </strong>Mwatawala et al.
 (2009)<strong>.</strong><strong> Fruit flies that
 emerged from each reared fruit were identified and recorded per plot per
 crop. Fruit flies were identified using keys developed by
 </strong>Virgilio et al. (2014)<strong>. Infestation rates
 were calculated as the number of emerged fruit flies per unit weight of
 fruits.</strong>
 <strong><em>Yield</em></strong><strong><em> </em></strong> <strong>The yield of cucurbit fruits per crop species was determined by harvesting undamaged fruits from 45 tagged plants for every crop in each plot within an area of 67.5 square meters. The weight of the fruits (yield) was then calculated and converted into kilograms per hectare </strong>(Thuc and Minh 2022)<strong>.</strong>
description: # Data from: Impact of agroecological protection practices against
 cucurbit infesting fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Morogoro,
 Tanzania
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.ncjsxkt4t](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.ncjsxkt4t) ## Description of the data and file structure The data were collected in 30 experimental plots established across the mountainous and plateau zones of the Morogoro region, Eastern Central Tanzania. These zones were chosen because they are known to have a high prevalence of cucurbit crops, which were the focus of the current research, as well as the presence of cucurbit flies that have been reported in the area (Geurts et al. 2012; Mwatawala et al. 2006, 2009) The experimental plots were set up in a factorial design using a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with five replications for each agroecological zone as study areas and the three farming practices as treatments. Experiments were conducted for four seasons: March to June 2021 (First season), July to September 2021 (Second season), March to June 2022 (Third season) and July to September 2022 (Fourth season). Crop protection practices tested were; **ACP** **practices (formulated by GAMOUR): Attracting pollinating insects and trapping cucurbit infesting fruit flies using border crop (maize in our case); Mass trapping of flies and spot application of baits on border crop, in this case GF120 (Spinosad 0.24g/l) and Bio lure; Mulching using organic materials; Field sanitation by collecting damaged fruits and disposing them in an augmentarium and application of organic fertilizers (farmyard manure). GF120 was sprayed on the border crop at the intervals of seven days from when the cucurbits started to flower until seven days before harvest. We mixed GF120 and water at a dilution ratio of 1 L GF120:7 L water. 0.016 L of a mixture was sprayed on the upper side of maize leaves on a 0.4 m2 spot and after every 10 m. Biolure was also placed on the border crop and changed weekly until seven days before harvesting. Conventional practices**: Included application of an insecticide Amadine® 40EC (Dimethoate 400g/l, Shandong Binnong Technology Co. Ltd, China), at an application rate of 2.5 L/Ha; fungicide Daconil® 720SC (Chlorothalonil 720g/l, Syngenta Crop Protection Ag, Switzerland), at an application rate 2.0 L/Ha; Industrial fertilizers (N: P: K 15:9:20 and CAN 15:4:26, basal and top dressing fertilizers, respectively). A tank mix of fungicide and insecticide was sprayed six times per season at the interval of 14 days from when 75% of the crops had emerged up to 14 days before harvest. In a 20 L sprayer tank, 0.125 L and 0.05 L of Chlorothalonil and Dimethoate, respectively, were mixed in a 20 L of water and sprayed on the cucurbits.) Untreated **control plots**: Plots without management practices except irrigation during the dry season and weeding were used as controls. Resulting in a total of 30 experimental plots grouped in 10 replication sites (i.e. five replication sites for each of the two agroecological zones, three plots per site, one for each treatment). Each replication site consisted of three plots, one for each treatment, and within each plot, three types of cucurbit crops were grown: watermelon, cucumber, and squash. The size of each plot was 45 meters by 45 meters, equal to 2025 square meters, and a distance of 100 meters separated the plots within replication sites. Data collection *Number of blemished fruits by cucurbit flies* Data on the number of blemished fruits were collected randomly from 45 plants tagged for each cucurbit crop in each plot. The percentage of blemished fruits was recorded cumulatively from the fruit set through the harvesting stages. Fruits were sampled after they were set. The collected data were then transformed into a percentage of blemished fruits following methods described by Ghule et al. (2013) and Mwatawala et al. (2015). *Infestation rates* Fruits were randomly sampled from each plot per crop. The collected fruits were taken to the Sokoine University of Agriculture rearing facility, weighed, and placed in rearing containers. The fruits were reared using plastic containers with dimensions of 25 cm by 15 cm by 11 cm. Sampling and rearing methods were adopted from Mwatawala et al. (2009). Fruit flies that emerged from each reared fruit were identified and recorded per plot per crop. Fruit flies were identified using keys developed by Virgilio et al. (2014). Infestation rates were calculated as the number of emerged fruit flies per unit weight of fruits. ***Yield*** **The yield of cucurbit fruits per crop species was determined by harvesting undamaged fruits from 45 tagged plants for every crop in each plot within an area of 67.5 square meters. The weight of the fruits (yield) was then calculated and converted into kilograms per hectare (Thuc and Minh 2022)**. ### Files and variables #### File: Research\_Data\_shared.zip **Description:** S2: Raw data for Blemished fruits and Yields S3: Raw data for infestation rates ## Code/software We used R statistical software ## Access information Data was derived from the following sources: * Data were only collected from the field and laboratory