Abstract

Leaf-cutting ants (Atta cephalotes) cause production losses to mango producers since they take down inflorescences and tender leaves. A repellent fluid was sprayed to an absorbent cloth placed around the tree-trunk to prevent ants from climbing. Eucalyptus oil-water emulsion was manually sprayed into the cotton fabric surrounding the tree trunks and the effect of fabric evaporation analyzed when it was covered or exposed directly to the environment. Manual application of the repellent solution is labour-intensive as each hectare has at least 100 trees. Precise spraying of hundreds of tree fabrics can be done with the orchard irrigation system. Relative humidity measurements were obtained every 3 hours comparing clothes moistened by drip or sprinkler irrigation systems, being the latter more homogeneous. Drippers together with tubing provide better cloth wetting, but the fabric should be thinner. Aroma was sampled by a group of experts and the oil-water emulsion should be applied every two days.

Keywords: Precise spraying;Oil-water emulsion;Ant control; RH fabric drying