Technological watch

Whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) Management (WFM) Strategies for Sustainable Agriculture: A Review

The whitefly (Bemisia tabaci Gennadius) is a notorious devastating sap-sucking insect pest that causes substantial crop damage and yield losses due to direct feeding by both nymphs and adults and also through transmission of viruses and diseases. Although the foliar application of synthetic pesticides is crucial for efficient control of B. tabaci, it has adverse effects such as environmental pollution, resistance and resurgence of the pest, toxicity to pollinators, and crop yield penalty. Thus, a suitable, safe, and robust strategy for the control of whiteflies in the agricultural field is needed. The reports on whitefly-resistant transgenic plants are scanty, non-reproducible, and/or need secondary trials and clearance from the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The present review encompasses explicit information compiled from 364 articles on the traditional, mechanical, biological, biotechnological, and chemical strategies for whitefly management (WFM), IPM strategy, and future prospects of WFM for food and agriculture security.

Publication date: 26/08/2022

Author: Mustapha Abubakar

Reference: doi: 10.3390/agriculture12091317

MDPI (AGRICULTURE)

      

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 870292.