Evaluation of the Effect of Different Plants Species in the Push-pull Strategies against Spodoptera frugiperda in Maize

Abstract

Fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (Noctuidae: Lepidoptera), is an economically important invasive pest of maize. Habitat manipulation is a form of conservation biological management that uses cover crops/hedge rows/flower strip crops in the main crop field to conserve beneficial insect fauna such as natural enemies. Push pull strategies is a most effective way of managing the pest is through the use of companion cropping system. It involves intercropping maize with repellent plants such as Desmodium (Push) and planting an attractive trap plants such as Napier grass and sudan grass (pull) as a border crop around this intercropped field. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the performance of the push-pull strategies in maize for the management of fall armyworm. Seven treatments viz., Maize + Green leaf fodder (Desmodium sp.) (trap/border crop: Napier grass) :Conventional Push-Pull Technology, Maize + Groundnut (Trap/border crop: Sudan grass), Maize + Cluster bean (Trap/border crop: Sudan grass), Maize + Cowpea (Trap/border crop: Sudan grass), Maize + Sunhemp (Trap/border crop: Sudan grass), Maize + Soybean (Trap/border crop: Sudan grass) and monocrop of maize were evaluated for the severity of damage caused by fall armyworm. The per cent plant damage and number of larvae per 25 plants were significantly less in the maize + Desmodium sp. at 12 weeks after planting compared to the monocrop of maize. The abundance of Coccinellid predators, Earwigs and spiders was significantly higher in maize intercropped with Desmodium sp. (conventional push-pull technology) compared to the sole crop of maize. The results of the study indicated the push-pull strategies in reducing fall armyworm damage in maize.