Mass trapping of Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) using light and sex-pheromone traps in cotton

Abstract

The pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) is an important insect pest of the cotton crop worldwide. Sex-pheromone and light traps were used to monitor the adult P. gossypiella population in Bt cotton field for the years 2017-18 at southern Punjab, Pakistan. The sampling of infested bolls was done to record the damage level of P. gossypiella. The sex-pheromone traps captured approximately 2-3 times more adults than light traps in all locations during 2017-18. For sex-pheromone traps, temperature showed negative and strong relation (R2 = 0.63-0.80) with trap catches. Fewer bolls (7.0-9.0%) were infested in plots where sex-pheromone traps were installed compared to check plots (32-37%). Therefore, the pheromone trapping proved an effective and eco-friendly tool for the monitoring and management of P. gossypiella. Our findings enable forecasting of seasonal P. gossypiella population providing additional information for the development of an integrated pest management program for this pest.

Understanding vegetable farmers’ adoption, dis-adoption, and non-adoption decisions of pest management by pheromone trapping

“…Pheromones have been demonstrated to be effective for mass trapping and disrupting the mating of specific insect pests. Pheromone trapping, either alone or in combination with bio-rational spraying, has been reported to conserve natural enemies and control various insect pests, including eggplant fruit and shoot borer (Leucinodes orbonalis Guenee), and cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera) in Bangladesh [20][21][22][23][24][25]. The use of pheromone traps is also viewed as a viable option for controlling insect pests and reducing the use of synthetic insecticides in worldwide vegetable production [15,18,22,23,25].…”

“…Pheromone trapping, either alone or in combination with bio-rational spraying, has been reported to conserve natural enemies and control various insect pests, including eggplant fruit and shoot borer (Leucinodes orbonalis Guenee), and cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera) in Bangladesh [20][21][22][23][24][25]. The use of pheromone traps is also viewed as a viable option for controlling insect pests and reducing the use of synthetic insecticides in worldwide vegetable production [15,18,22,23,25]. Studies have suggested that the dependency on insecticides can be reduced by 35% to 50% without reducing the yield of the product by adopting pheromone traps [26,27].…”