Cotton aphid control strategy in Zimbabwe

摘要

The recommended aphid control strategy in Zimbabwe involves exploitation of the biology of the pest, the state of the plant, weather conditions, natural predators and, lastly, chemicals. A heavy downpour of rain provides as much control as aphicides,the registered insecticides. Cotton aphids are more damaging in a season with long dry spells, and registered aphicides such as carbosulfan, acetamiprid, benfuracarb and dimethoate are used under such circumstances when aphids exceed a threshold score of 48 per every 24 plants scouted per field. The recommended aphid control strategy in Zimbabwe gives good results. However, there is room for extending aphid control to biological agents, such as entomopathogenic fungus and predators.