Role of Light and Pheromone Traps in the Management of Bollworms in Cotton Ecosystem

An experiment was conducted to study the interaction effect of light and pheromone traps in catching the adult moths of all the three bollworms (American bollworm-Helicoverpa armigera; Spotted bollworm-Earias spp.; Pink bollworm-Pectinophora gossypiella) during cotton season 2002 and 2004. In general, light traps were more effective than pheromone traps at times of high population pressure (2002) of American and spotted bollworm. However, at times of low abundance of both American and spotted bollworm, i.e. during 2004, it was found that the pheromone traps (3.76 and 5.82 adults/trap/3 nights respectively) were significantly more effective in trapping adults than light trap (3.20 and 3.34 adults/trap/3 nights respectively). When both light and pheromone traps were placed in the same vicinity, the pheromone trap catches of American bollworm (2.46 adults/trap/3nights) were affected more significantly by light traps (4.01 adults/trap/3nights). However, no adverse effect was noticed in case of pheromone trap catches of spotted bollworm. In case of pink bollworm, being a non noctuid, was not attracted towards light trap (1.00–1.94 adults/trap/3nights).