International E-publication: Publish Projects, Dissertation, Theses, Books, Souvenir, Conference Proceeding with ISBN.  International E-Bulletin: Information/News regarding: Academics and Research

Habitat Manipulation for Biological Control of Insect Pests: A Review

    , ,

Author Affiliations

  • 1Department of Entomology, GBPUAT, Pantnagar-263145, Uttarakhand, INDIA
  • 2Department of Entomology, GBPUAT, Pantnagar-263145, Uttarakhand, INDIA
  • 3Department of Entomology, GBPUAT, Pantnagar-263145, Uttarakhand, INDIA

Res. J. Agriculture & Forestry Sci., Volume 1, Issue (10), Pages 27-31, November,8 (2013)

Abstract

Habitat manipulation, which is also referred to as "Ecological Engineering", focuses on reducing mortality of natural enemies, providing the supplementary resources and manipulating host plant attributes for the benefit of natural bio-agents. This can be achieved by enhancing the plant diversity and by providing adequate refugia in the agro-ecosystem. Strips harvesting in Lucerne was found to enhance predator or parasitoid population. Strips with taller growth had greater natural enemies population than in more recently harvested strips. Kairomone extracts from scales of Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) was found to enhance the effectiveness of the predator Chrysoperla sp. and the egg parasitoid Trichogramma sp. when sprayed on cotton fields. Creating a raised "Beetle Bank" with perennial grasses within the field, will provide suitable over wintering habitat for several natural enemies. "Envirofeast" when sprayed in cotton fields attracts various natural enemies. Habitat manipulation is an emerging technology in biological control programme, which encourages biodiversity and leads to stability and sustainability of agro ecosystem. It integrates well with other methods of biological control.

References

  1. Landis D.A., Wratten S.D. and Gurr G.M., Habitatmanagement to conserve natural enemies of Arthropodpests in Agriculture, Annu. Rev. Ent., 45, 175-201 (2000)
  2. Menasch R.K., Local density responses of predatory insectsof Helicoverpa species to a newly developed foodsupplement “Envirofeast” in commercial cotton inAustralia, Int. J. Pest Mgmt., 43, 221-22 (1997)
  3. Metcalf R.L. and Luckmann W.H., Introduction to Insectpest Management, 2 (edi), Wiley-Interscience publication,New York, 572 (1982)
  4. Shanthakumari P., , Biological Control of Crop Pests inIndia, Kalyani Publishers, New Delhi, 365 (2003)
  5. Cottrell T.E., Factors influencing dispersal of laravalColeomegilla maculata from the weed Acalyphaostryaefolia to sweet corn, Entomol. Exp. APPL., 90, 313-322 (1999)
  6. Thomas M.B., Sotherton N.W., Coombes D.S. and WrattenS.D., Habitat factors influencing the distribution ofpolyphagous predatory insects between field boundaries, Ann. Appl. Biol., 120, 197-202 (1992)
  7. Ram P., Sharma S.S. and Saini R.K., , Role of egg parasitismby Trichogramma chilonis (Ishii) to control Helicoverpaarmigera (Hubner) in cotton-sesame intercropping, J. ofCotton Res. and Dev., 16, 109-110 (2002)
  8. Khan Z.R., Chiliswa P. and Hassanali A., Intercroppingincrease parasitism of pests, Nature, 338, 631-32 (1997)
  9. Thomas E.D., Reichelderfer C.F. and Himpel A.M., Theeffect of soil PH on the persistence of cabbage loopernuclear polyhedrosis virus in soil, J. Invertebrate Patho.,21, 21-25 (1973)
  10. Hossain Z., Gurr G.M. and Wratten S.D., Habitatmanipulation in Lucerne (Medicago sativa L): Stripsharvesting enhance biological control of insect pests, Int. J.Pest Mgmt., 47, 81-88 (2001)