Monitoring and Managing Pests in Conventional and Organic Corn through Environmentally Friendly Approaches

Abstract

Pests in corn crops are continuously increasing and diversifying from year to year and for them large amounts of insecticides are used with polluting effects on the environment and harmful to health. So, through this study we set out to see what is the density of pests (using traps to attract and catch) in 2 culture systems (organic and conventional) and to try to find solutions that are friendly to the environment and at the same time with minimal effort and effect durable. In this sense, 4 plots in 2 localities in western Romania (Arad County) were organized for 3 years (2021-2023) both in the open field for monitoring activities of pests and natural enemies and in cages for the interaction report between them and also for evaluating the effectiveness of 2 common bioinsecticides. The monitoring results showed that the pests had a high diversity and a high numerical level of Hemiptera, Coleoptera and Lepidoptera (as target organisms), especially in the organic plots. The predominant natural enemies were from the genera Sphaerophoria, Harmonia, Lysiphlebus, Argiope, Chrysoperla and Coccinella among many others with average values over 100 and a good potential interaction ratio (natural enemies - pests) (1:13.94). The best variant related to the efficiency of bioinsecticides was BB (1)-HD, studies proving that a higher dose is more effective. All, the use of traps (attract-catch), as well as the exploitation of natural enemies and the application of bioinsecticides can constitute biological solutions available to agricultural farmers.