INTERPLANTING OF ALTERNATIVE HOST PLANTS FOR ENHANCING LEPIDOPTERA IN COTTON

摘要

Velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti Medikus) and/or garbanzo beans (Cicer arietinum L.) plants were interplanted into cottonwith the aim of attracting more lepidopterous pests into research plots. The use of velvetleaf proved to be effective inobtaining more Heliothis virescens (F.) and Trichoplusia ni (Hübner) pressure on cotton plants but since pests such aswhiteflies and bugs were more abundant on these plants, there is a potential detrimental effect of attracting undesirableinsects to experimental trials. Garbanzo beans attracted high numbers of Heliothis virescens and Spodoptera exigua (Hübner)and low numbers of Trichoplusia ni. Experimental cotton plots interplanted with velvetleaf and garbanzo beans attracted thewhole worm spectrum described before, while not lowering yields when compared to cotton alone, but still had the potentialof creating a good environment for undesirable insect species. Cotton interplanted with garbanzo beans appears to be the bestof these methods for increasing larval pressure in research plots because attracts high numbers and diverse species ofLepidoptera, but it does not lower seed cotton production.