Trends in Integrated Insect Pest Management

Insects are the most speciose organism on earth. Insects are adapted to all environments and ecosystems. Insects are one of the major components in the functioning of ecosystems. However, a handful of them pose serious threats to agriculture as pests of crops. In many crops, insects are the major constraint in achieving higher yields, thereby, affecting the productivity of crops. Further, a few species of insects damage the harvested produce in stores. Global estimates reflect a loss of 9.5 billion US$ due to various biological stresses to crop plants of which insect pest damage accounts for 10.8% loss. Apart from causing direct damage to crops, insects also act as vectors of plant diseases, which further decreases crop yields. Apart from being pests, there is a wealth of insects that act as predators, parasitoids, and scavengers. Hence, the knowledge on the role of insects in agro-ecosystems is essential in sustainable crop production systems.

Various management tactics have been deployed to decrease the impact of insects in agriculture since time immemorial. Every time a new technique is deployed, insects have their own techniques to oust the management technique introduced. The most common control measure is the use of chemical insecticides. The impact of the insect pests in field and storage needs to be managed through innovation and sustainable techniques. Integrated pest management (IPM) is popular in combining all available techniques in one capsule to avoid yield losses due to insect damage. IPM techniques are preferred as it provide ways to maintain the environment in balance and provide livelihood for all organisms without reduction in yields. The most striking aspect of IPM is avoidance or minimum use of synthetic chemical compounds. Insecticide application is the last option in any cropping system under this approach. The risk of the 3 R's (development of resistance to insecticides, insect resurgence, and residues) is due to indiscriminate use of pesticides. In addition, there can also be an outbreak of secondary insect pests and destruction of natural enemies.