Field Crop 2025, Vol.8, No.6, 274-283 http://cropscipublisher.com/index.php/fc 274 Review Article Open Access Reduced Pesticide Use in Cotton Fields through Biological Control and Companion Planting Strategies ZhenLi Hainan Institute of Biotechnology, Haikou, 570206, Hainan, China Corresponding email: zhen.li@hibio.org Field Crop, 2025, Vol.8, No.6 doi: 10.5376/fc.2025.08.0028 Received: 25 Sep., 2025 Accepted: 06 Nov., 2025 Published: 26 Nov., 2025 Copyright © 2025 Li, This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Li Z., 2025, Reduced pesticide use in cotton fields through biological control and companion planting strategies, Field Crop, 8(6): 274-283 (doi: 10.5376/fc.2025.08.0028) Abstract The reliance on pesticides in cotton cultivation has long been closely linked to environmental degradation and pesticide resistance in pests, thus necessitating the exploration of sustainable alternatives for pest management. This study reviews current research on reducing pesticide use in cotton agro-ecosystems through biological control and associated planting strategies. It analyzes the main pests affecting cotton yield and quality, highlights the limitations of chemical control, and analyzes methods for natural pest control using biological agents such as Beauveria bassiana and Trichogramma wasps. Furthermore, it explores how associated planting can enhance biodiversity and pest control through ecological interactions, supplemented by field case studies from India, Africa, and Australia. By integrating these measures into the integrated pest management (IPM) framework, this study emphasizes their synergistic potential for achieving sustainable cotton production. The combination of biological control and associated planting can not only reduce pesticide dependence but also improve ecological resilience, farmer income, and social well-being, while calling for further research into large-scale implementation and supporting policy frameworks. Keywords Cotton cultivation; Biological control; Companion planting; Integrated pest management; Sustainable agriculture 1 Introduction The significance of cotton needs no elaboration. This crop supports a large number of global textile industries. However, behind its high yield, pesticides have always been indispensable. In the early years, chemical pesticides almost became the "standard equipment" in cotton fields. They did indeed ensure stable and high cotton yields, but the cost came at a cost: the ecosystem was disrupted, pest resistance increased, and some previously insignificant minor pests reappeared (Cheng and Zhang, 2025). Water pollution, the decline of beneficial insects, and risks to human health - these problems emerged one after another later on. For a long time, cotton cultivation has almost become a "disaster area" of pesticide consumption. Despite continuous technological improvements in control measures, old problems such as high-yield losses, the spread of drug resistance, and the emergence of new pest populations remain persistent. Especially in some cotton-producing areas, although the area is not large, the amount of pesticides used accounts for half of the national or even global total. The advent of genetically modified cotton (such as Bt cotton) was once highly anticipated. It did significantly reduce the use of pesticides, but it was not a panacea. The new problem of ineffectiveness against certain pests and the gradual emergence of resistance has plunged farmers into a new predicament (Coupe and Capel, 2016; Trapero et al., 2016). People have begun to realize that the more pesticides they use, the more they rely on them. Environmental deterioration is only one aspect. The deeper pressure comes from the economic and social levels: medicines are more expensive, less effective, and workers' health issues are receiving increasing attention. As a result, from policies to the public, the calls for "reducing drug use" have grown stronger and stronger. Integrated pest management (IPM), biological control, associated planting, intercropping systems and other methods are beginning to be re-examined. They can suppress pests through natural regulation and restore ecological balance, which is also in line with the development direction of sustainable agriculture (Yi and Ueno, 2024).
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