Pest Management in Horticultural Crops Under Protected Cultivation

Abstract

Greenhouse horticultural crops grown all over the world are vulnerable to various pest attacks as the protected crops provide stable and favourable microclimates for development of pest populations. The losses caused due to insect, mite and nematode pests in greenhouses crops like tomato, okra, capsicum, gerbera, carnation, cucumber, lettuce, beans and strawberry are tremendous. Crop losses are mainly due to pests like, whiteflies, thrips, leaf-miners, aphids, mites and nematodes. The most important components of pest management in greenhouse horticultural crops include preventive measures, scouting and early detection and curative measures. Exclusion techniques include the use of physical barriers, use of insect-proof nets, provision of double door, use of reflective or metalized mulches and ultraviolet (UV) radiation absorbing sheets. Preventive strategies also include humidity and temperature control, pre-season clean-up and inspection of personnel and planting materials entering into the net house. Curative measures involves with the Cultural control, Collection and destruction alternate host plants including weeds, Hand-picking of pest stages, Balanced use of fertilizer, Pinching and pruning the plants, Trap cropping and Crop rotation. By adopting suitable pest management technology, the growers can look forward to a better and additional remuneration for high-quality produce of horticultural crops raised under protected cultivation.

Protected cultivation of crops can be defined as controlled environment agriculture that is highly productive, conservative of water and land and protective. Protected cultivation of high value vegetables and cut-flowers has shown tremendous potential during the last decade or so. The technology involves the cultivation of horticultural crops chiefly vegetables and flower crops in a controlled environment wherein the factors like the temperature, humidity, light, soil, water and fertilizers are manipulated to attain maximum produce as well as allow a regular supply of them even during off-season. Greenhouse horticultural crops grown all over the world are vulnerable to various pest attacks as the protected crops provide stable and favourable microclimates for the development of pest populations. Generally, the natural enemies that keep pests under control outside are not present under protected condition. For these reasons, pest situations often develop in the indoor environment more rapidly and with greater severity than outdoors. The losses caused due to insect, mite and nematode pests in greenhouse vegetable and flower crops are tremendous. These pests are of much importance and need to be managed properly so as to prevent the crop losses and increase yields in protected vegetable and flower cultivation. By adopting suitable pest management technology, the growers can look forward to a better and additional remuneration for high-quality produce of horticultural crops raised under protected cultivation.