25 Haz 2025 Çarşamba
Comprehensive overview of cabbage butterflies: Ecology, impact, and eco-friendly management strategies
Abstract : Butterflies are beautiful creatures and a symbol of a stable ecosystem. Cabbage butterflies are important insect pests on cruciferous crops and are responsible for huge yield losses in both temperate and tropical regions of the world. They damage seedlings, leaves, flowers and even bore into the heads of cole crops. The leaf damage on different cruciferous crops results in 40% annual damage. Farmers typically use synthetic insecticides to control cabbage butterflies. However, continuous use of synthetic insecticides for the management of cabbage butterflies often leads to various negative impacts such as the development of insecticide resistance, adverse effects on non-target organisms and hazardous effects on the environment. The drawbacks of insecticides necessitate the use of alternative approaches for controlling cabbage butterflies that are cost-effective, biodegradable, less toxic to non-target organisms, residue-free, safe for natural enemies, and eco-friendly. The green approaches should be timed properly to curtail the pest phenologies of cabbage butterfly by leveraging natural enemies. The review encompasses various aspects of the cabbage butterfly, including its host range, biological rate, distribution, morphology, and the damage it causes, as well as the techniques employed for its management. Its purpose is to provide knowledge to pest managers and identify gaps for developing new management strategies in future research programs. Future management approaches for cabbage butterflies should utilize compatible technologies to promote sustainable agriculture and landscapes.