Bio-pesticides as an ecofriendly management of Whitefly, Bemisia tabaci Mitotype Asia II-1

Cotton is among the important economic crops grown in Pakistan. One of the major threats to the crop across the globe is the whitefly mitotype Asia II-1. Besides all the possible factors regarding outbreak of whitefly mitotype Asia II-1 population the major one is wide spread use of insecticides which not only cause the resistance development in whitefly but also cause mortality of beneficial insects. Fifteen different plant extracts and three entomopathogenic fungi are being used in cotton for whitefly management under controlled and field conditions. Under laboratory conditions, significantly higher mortality of 21–56% was observed for nymphs and 23–60% for adults of whiteflies in treatments of plant extracts against laboratory-reared whitefly populations. However, when applied against whitefly under field conditions, these products reduced the population by ranging from 18 to 52% for nymphs and 16–55% for adults of whitefly. This study is the first report of controlled and field evaluation from Pakistan and would help in the application of plant extracts and entomopathogenic fungi as alternative techniques for pest management in the future.