Role of “banker plants” in integrated Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) and Earias insulana (Boisd.) management

Abstract To reduce global warming caused by the overuse of conventional chemical pesticides used for pest management, this study tested the effectiveness of okra and corn as banker plants with Trichogramma evanescens release for the sustainable management of cotton bollworms in comparison to conventional chemical pesticides and the release of T. evanescens alone (control). We found that okra and corn with T. evanescens release were more effective in decreasing the incidence of cotton bollworms than the conventional chemical pesticides or T. evanescens alone. We also found that okra and corn encouraged the spread of bollworm natural enemies in the treated cotton fields, which had a large impact on the number of cotton bollworm larvae, thus reducing the need for conventional pesticides. Thus, banker plants combined with T. evanescens release can support agrobiodiversity and help realize the integrated management of the cotton bollworm by reducing the use of conventional chemical pesticides and contributing to global warming reduction.