Non-Chemical Approaches for the Management of Insect Pests in Agri-Horti Crops and Storage

Abstract

Insects are the largest group of hexapod invertebrates belonging to the Phylum Arthropoda. They are the major enemies of our crops in field and stored products. On one side are the beneficial entomofauna, which positively works for human welfare, whereas, the other side comprises of insect pests which cause a huge negative impact on human and his belongings. Unfortunately, nearly one-sixth of all crops grown worldwide are lost to herbivorous insects and the plant diseases they transmit. In addition to this, due to climate change coupled with intensification in agriculture, there has been a paradigm shift in infestation of insect pests both in time and space. Moreover, over the decade, food security at global level has also emerged as a concern at an alarming rate. The farmers use pesticides as first line of defence and frequently resort to indiscriminate and non-judicious use of pesticides for managing the insect pests. However, these lead to several problems, such as environmental pollution, pesticide residue in the harvested products, development of resistance/resurgence of pests, emergence of new pests, destruction of natural enemies and pollinators, and ultimately, increased cost of production. In this background, a paradigm shift in pest management approaches is urgently required. Such management strategies could be A) Mechanical methods, B) Physical methods, C) Legislative methods, and D) Cultural methods. The literature on these components is being focused in the present review.