SPLAT-PBW: An eco-friendly, cost-effective mating disruption tool for the management of pink bollworm on cotton

Abstract

Indian cotton farmers have reaped the benefits of Bt cotton cultivation since commercialization (March 2002) until 2013–14. From 2014 onwards, the pink bollworm (PBW) outbreak in the entire cotton-growing regions of the country was witnessed. The pest aggravated and became more problematic, not being controlled with the present management practices due to resistance to cry-toxins and insecticides. However, a non-chemical approach modifying the behavior of PBW was exploited in this study and evaluated its effectiveness in comparison with existing management strategies. An area-wide management trial with mating disruption technology was carried out using specialized pheromone and lure application technology for pink bollworm (SPLAT-PBW). Application of 500, 750, and 1250 g/acre of the lure during 2017–18 in 154 acres and 206 acres during 2018–19 in Raichur district of Karnataka, India, recorded significant control of PBW. The results revealed that SPLAT-PBW applied at 500 g/acre was found to be optimum, as minimum rosette flower (8.23%), green boll damage (7.36%), locule damage (8.41%), and higher yield (33.59 q/ha) recorded as compared to farmers’ practice which yielded 22.33 q/ha even after 5–6 rounds of insecticide spray. At the end of the fifth week, 40.36% of the active ingredient of pheromone was present in the field sample. It indicated a slow-release mechanism of pheromone from the SPLAT-PBW lures. Non-chemical approaches of insect pest management in cotton significantly benefit in reducing the load of chemical pesticides and cost of protection. This technology is an alternate option to chemical pesticides to curb the menace of the PBW due to management difficulties with the present pest control tools.