Intercropping Empower Reduces Insect Pests and Increases Biodiversity in Agro-Ecosystem

Abstract

Currently insect pest management solely depends on chemical pesticide that continuously affects on environment, biodiversity, animal as well as human health. Outbreak of secondary insect pest is also the cost of pesticide use in field leading crop more vulnerable to more pests. These negative impacts of pesticides have provoked growing interest in the adoption of multi-function agricultural biodiversity that promote pest management, creating interesting challenge for traditional approaches to regulatory compliance. To address multi-function agricultural practice, we tested several intercropping systems with mustard and their effect on pest management. Our results revealed that intercropping systems mustard with onion, garlic, radhuni and coriander significantly reduced pest population over sole crop. However, intercropping mustard with wheat and gram increased pest population in mustard field. This result indicated that all crops are not suitable for intercropping system. Among the tested intercropping systems, mustard with onion and coriander significantly reduced branch and flower infestation and increased pod formation per plant. These four intercropping systems did not significantly affect on honeybee pollinator which are crucial for mustard crop yield. A significant linear relationship was also found between honeybee population and pod formation. Our results indicate that suitable intercropping system can be a potential multi-functional agricultural practice for pest management in mustard crop.

A review of the impact of maize-legume intercrops on the diversity and abundance of entomophagous and phytophagous insects

“…High numbers of parasitoids were recorded in push–pull and maize-cowpea intercrop plots as opposed to maize sole cropping systems ( Mudare et al, 2022 ). Other research found that a large number of parasitoids in maize-legume intercropping systems correlates with a high level of biodiversity ( Afrin et al, 2017 ).…”

Management Guide of Sucking Insect Pest

“…Water stressed condition reduced the fecundity of several sap feeder including aphids when soil water regimes decreased from 8 to 2% [18], tiny sap feeders face difficulties to get concentrated cell sap with low cell turgidity. Afrin et al [19] reported that intercropping mustard with garlic, onion and coriander significantly reduced aphid population trough acted as repellents. Boarder crop like maize and sorghum may be utilised to reduce the dispersal of the sucking pest like jassid, whitefly, shoot fly etc.…”

Defining biotechnological solutions for insect control in sub‐Saharan Africa

“…Commercial monoculture farming systems are highly dependent on external inputs (synthetized fertilizers, chemical pesticides, and growth regulators) with simplified ecosystems (Kremen, Iles, & Bacon, ; Malézieux, ). In contrast, agricultural systems that promote functional biodiversity and support ecological processes allow for benefits from many ecosystem services, such as nutrient cycling, soil structuration, and pest control (Afrin et al, ; Altieri & Rosset, ; Zhang, Werf, Zhang, Li, & Spiertz, ).…”