• Flower-to-flower dusting with ash plus burning of collected shed boils and flowers.
• August or September planting to avoid the flower weevil occurrence during the peak of flowering.
• Wider row spacing of plants preferably 1 m apart, to allow penetration of sunlight between rows to enhance rapid drying of fallen flowers.
• Close-season planting to disrupt dispersal and prevent the generation cycle of the insect.
• Planting of trap crops like okra.
• Proper irrigation management to prevent population build up of the insect.
• Release of earwig Euborella annulata, an insect predator of weevil.
• Use of systemic chemical insecticide at the recommended rate.

This recommended management strategy effectively controls weevils and increases farmer’s income with an ROI of about 260% at high planting density.

The flower weevil management strategy reduced flower weevil infestation and provided better income to cotton farmers.

Source: PCARRD 2000. Highlights 1999, Los Banos, Laguna