Current Status of Population Density of Mediterranean Fruit Fly （Ceratitis capitata） in Fruit Orchards in Central Iraq

In the recent years The Mediterranean Fruit fly Ceratitis capitata is distributed in the orchards of central Iraq and caused highly economic losses. This study was conducted in orchards in central Iraq during 2009 and 2010 and made field survey of the insect in four types of orchards （Citrus, Apricot, Figs ＆ Citrus and A mixture of fruit trees） and used for this purpose Tephri Traps supplied with Q-Lure and dimethyl dichloroviny phosphate （DDVP）. The present preliminary study has shown that the Mediterranean fruit fly C. capitata has a year round presence in fruit orchards in central Iraq and reached its highest ntunerical density of the pest in citrus orchards during of November and December were 345 and 363 insect/trap per month in citrus orchards and the least numerical density during of January and February while the highest numerical density of the insect in orchards of Apricot in March 2010, Figs ＆ Citrus in August 2009 and a Mixture of fruit trees in November 2009 were 45, 116, 311 insect/trap per month respectively. The population density of the pest was highest is started 2010 compared with 2009, but the high temperature degree （46-51℃） in August 2010 caused decreasing the population density of this pest. C. capitata caused highly economic losses in citrus reached 68% and 71% of the Mandarin and Kaki fruits respectively Currently in Iraq to fight no control method to reduce the economic losses caused by this pest except the use of pesticides GF-120.

Influence of peach(Prunus persica Batsch)phenological stage on the short-term changes in oxidizable and labile pools of soil organic carbon and activities of carbon-cycle enzymes in the North-Western Himalayas

The labile organic carbon(C)and C-related enzymes are sensitive indicators capturing alterations of soil organic matter(SOM),even in a short-time scale.Although the effects of crop husbandry and land use change on these attributes have been well studied,there is no consensus about how plant phenology may impact them.This study aimed to determine the short-term effect o f six distinct phenological stages(PS-1:full bloom;PS-2:fruit set;PS-3:pit hardening;PS-4:physiological maturity;PS-5:60 d after physiological maturity;and PS-6:fall)o f peach on the changes in soil organic carbon(SOC)fractions of different oxidizability,labile C pools,and C-cycle enzyme activities in soils,for two consecutive years(2015 and 2016)in the North-Western Himalayas(NWH).Peach rhizosphere soils were sampled at the topsoil(0-15 cm)and subsoil(16-30 cm)layers,along with rhizosphere soils from adjacent perennial grasses,which served as a control.Values for most of the assessed parameters,including very labile C,labile C,microbial biomass C,permanganate oxidizable C,dissolved organic C,mineralizable C,amylase activity,and carboxymethyl-cellulase activity,were significantly(P<0.05)higher at PS-3 than at other phenological stages of peach.Conversely,a sudden decline in these soil variables was recorded at PS-5,followed by a slight buildup at PS-6,particularly in the topsoil of the peach orchard.Short-term changes in organic C fractions of different oxidizability,influenced by peach phenological stage,significantly(P<0.05)affected C management index,C pool index,and lability index.Both the C management index and lability index showed their highest values at PS-3 and their lowest values at PS-5,clearly indicating short-term accretion and depletion of SOC,in tandem with the peach phenological events.Principal component analysis suggested that a composite of soil indicators,including microbial biomass C,dissolved organic C,amylase,and invertase,could help detect short-term changes in SOC content.It is concluded that peach phenological events had a major impact on the short-term variations of the studied soil variables,which could be attributed to changes in the above-and belowground plant residues,as well as the extent of nutrients and water acquisition.