Build-up of insect pests and their natural enemies on rotated and non-rotated okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench), tomato (Lycopersicon esculentus Mill) and egg plant (Solanum melongena (L.) Moench.) fields
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Date
2017-02-28
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Journal of Applied Biosciences
Abstract
Objective: The quest for increased food production requires crops to be protected from pests and
diseases. The readily available means of controlling pests is the application of chemical pesticides,
with its attendant negative effects on humans and the environment. The study was conducted to
assess the effectiveness of crop rotation as a pest control measure and how this affects the population
of natural enemies of the pests.
Methodology and Results: The build-up of insect pests’ of tomato, okra and eggplant and their natural
enemies on rotated and non-rotated fields were studied. The rotated and non-rotated fields were each
replicated 3 times. The different insect pests that infested the crops were identified and counted.
Aphids and whiteflies were assessed using a scoring scale from 0 to 5. Natural enemies of the pests
were also identified and counted. Significantly, larger numbers of Bemisia tabaci, Aphis gossypii,
Podagrica uniforma, Zonocerus variegatus and Locusta migratoria were sampled on the crops on the
non-rotated than the rotated fields. Numbers of natural enemies, Dictynia sp Coccinella sp and
Camponotus sp were not significantly different on the rotated and non-rotated fields but crop yields
were significantly higher on the rotated field.
Conclusion and application of findings: The results of the study indicated that rotating crops on the
same piece of land resulted in reduction in pests’ numbers and an increase in crop yields. The reliance
on pesticides alone to manage pests may not be the best option to reduce pests because of the
negative effects of pesticides on the environment. Crop rotation can therefore be adopted as a cultural
control option in the overall management of pests.
Description
An article published by Journal of Applied Biosciences 110: 10802-10807;2017. Available at
http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/jab.v110i1.10
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Citation
Journal of Applied Biosciences 110: 10802-10807