Conspectus of Resistance in Pink Bollworm and Its Management: India Perspective

Abstract

Cotton is one of the most important fibre crops cultivated across the country. The huge market value and export significance of cotton made the crop as basis of livelihood for many farmers. However, the cotton is being severely ravaged by the pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) resulting in decreased yields. Even after the introduction of the transgenic cotton for the management of pest, the resistance evolved by this pest make the situation pathetic. The presence of the resistant alleles in the pink bollworm population accounted for the increased survivability of the pest on cotton. The failure of conventional management strategies has paved way for the novel and effective tools. Mating disruption is one such technology, where the male moths will be confused and made devoid of females to mate. This results in the decreased pest load in the field and promotes the abundance of the natural enemies in turn increasing yield.