Glimpses of Semiochemical Research Applications in Indian Horticulture: Present Status and Future Perspectives

Abstract

Pests of horticulture importance are evolving rapidly with changing climatic conditions, intensive farming practices, and constant selection pressures exerted through insecticides. With worldwide interest in environmental protection, chemical insecticides have become objects of scientific and popular protest. Critics charge chemical insecticides of their danger in provoking the development of resistant strains of pests, sabotaging ecological systems, and poisoning the environment. These liabilities of chemical insecticides have paved way to nonchemical methods, which use natural processes and mechanisms against insect pests. Of several natural processes available for exploitation of management of insect pests, semiochemicals are less exploited inspite of their ability in making integrated pest management (IPM) programs sustainable in the long run. The past, present, and future of integrating these viable alternatives with IPM programs against horticultural insect pests in India is discussed.