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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Insect Behavior and Biocontrol Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #391290
Research Project: Managing Invasive Weeds and Insect Pests Using Biologically-Based Methods

Location: Insect Behavior and Biocontrol Research

Title: Push-pull technology evaluation of selective vegetable crops in North Florida

Author
item BOLQUES, ALEJANDRO - Florida A & M University
item Legaspi, Jesusa

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/8/2022
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Whiteflies and aphids are important insect pests of vegetable crops grown in open field and agricultural protective structures. Conventional pest control practices that make use of synthetic pesticides can be costly, harmful to the environment if not managed properly, and may be harmful to non-target organisms, such as bees. A novel pest management practice that utilizes a combination of plant-pest behavior stimuli to repel, attract, and in some cases trap insect pest is providing farmers with an affordable, non-chemical pest control treatment known as push-pull strategy or technology. Push-pull technology involves intercropping with a pest repellent plant to drive away (push) an economically important pest from food crop, while utilizing other trap plants that attract the insect pest away from the food crop (pull). Complementing the push-pull technology is the use of flowering refuge plants that can increase beneficial natural enemies to reduce the insect pest population. Push-pull technology is being evaluated at the Florida A&M University/Research and Extension Center in Quincy, Florida on tomato, leafy greens, and strawberries that were grown using organic methods to determine the appropriateness of push-pull plant selections.