Ecofriendly Management of Pieris brassicae in Brassica oleracea: A Review

Abstract

Cabbage, Brassica oleracea, is the leafy vegetable of Brassicaceae family. Leafy vegetables are unique among the many vegetable groups due to their high carotene and ascorbic acid content. It is consumed all over the world. Cabbage’s high nutritional value makes it more herbivores, among them Pieris brassiace is major pest causing huge damage in seedlings, vegetative and flowering stages of plant. Leaves and head of cabbage are damaged thus interfering with the growth of the plant and marketability of the cabbage. But persistent usage of artificial chemical pesticides for pest control has a number of detrimental outcomes including harm to wild species and pest resistance development. Therefore, there is need of substitute methods that are used for management of such pest that are easily biodegradable, ecofriendly and cost-effective. So, for the continuing management of this pest, effective bio-control agents should be used in conjunction with the cultural control techniques in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) systems. IPM aids in minimizing ecological damage and reliance on chemical pesticides. IPM uses different methods for pest management, i.e., natural enemies, entomopathogenic organisms and botanical insecticides that are being, reported.