Field Crop 2025, Vol.8, No.6, 274-283 http://cropscipublisher.com/index.php/fc 275 Against this backdrop, this study aims to view the issue of pest management in cotton from a different perspective. It does not continue to discuss the old topic of "spraying more or less", but rather starts from biological control and associated cultivation to see if there is a more reliable path to take. First, we will sort out the ecological and agronomic logic behind these two methods, and then combine field experiments with some actual cases to see how they perform in real environments. Finally, we will also discuss the possible difficulties that may be encountered during the promotion process, such as limitations in terms of cost, technology, and cognition, and attempt to propose some feasible improvement directions. Overall, what this research aims to do is not to offer a perfect answer, but to provide a realistic and implementable thinking framework for cotton to move towards a more sustainable production method. 2 Pest Dynamics in Cotton Agroecosystems 2.1 Key pest species in cotton fields In the cotton field, pests have hardly ever truly left since the day of sowing. The most common ones are still the old rivals of Lepidoptera, Hemiptera and Lanceoptera. The cotton bollworm genus (Helicoverpa spp.) is the most representative pest among them. They burrow into cotton bolls, bite off flower buds and directly destroy the yield. Sucking pests, such as Bemisia tabaci, Amrasca biguttula, aphids and Thrips tabaci, although not necessarily damaging tissues, However, by sucking SAP and spreading viruses, the cotton plants gradually "wither" (Shipa et al., 2021). Sometimes, people think they have controlled the main pests, but as a result, invasive species such as mealybugs (Phenacoccus solenopsis) take the opportunity to spread and become a new disaster (Razaq et al., 2019). 2.2 Impact of pests on yield and quality The reduction in cotton production is often not caused by natural disasters but by pests. It has been estimated that if no control measures are taken at all, the yield loss caused by pests and diseases could be close to 60% (Malinga and Laing, 2024). This is not merely a matter of numbers; the damage caused by pests to cotton is often "both inside and out". Sucking pests cause plant growth to stagnate, leaves to turn yellow and fall off prematurely, cotton fibers to be short and coarse, and have poor toughness (Asif et al., 2024). Cotton bollworms are more direct, specifically targeting flower buds and cotton bolls. The cotton fluff is not long and full, and the quality naturally declines. The damage caused by scale insects and whiteflies is even more concealed. They spread viruses among cotton plants, dragging down the growth momentum of the entire cotton field. Although some regions can recover some losses through timely prevention and control, on the whole, pests remain the biggest "obstacle" affecting the yield and quality of cotton. 2.3 Challenges with chemical control methods Pesticides were once regarded as the most effective means of pest control. For decades, cotton field management has been almost inseparable from it. But the problem is becoming more and more obvious. Many pests, especially cotton bollworms and piercing-sucking pests, have long developed resistance to commonly used pesticides, and their effectiveness is getting worse and worse. As a result, the dosage has to be increased over and over again. Broad-spectrum pesticides are even worse. They have killed all their natural enemies, and as a result, secondary pests that were originally not threatening have become rampant. The consequences of long-term and frequent pesticide application go far beyond the issue of yield: the environment is polluted, farmers' health is threatened, and even soil and water bodies are damaged by pesticide residues (Nadeem et al., 2022). Meanwhile, the increase in pesticide prices has led to a continuous rise in the cost of cotton cultivation. Facing these realities, people have to rethink the control methods and combine biological control, crop resistance and ecological strategies (such as associated planting) to form a more robust and sustainable integrated pest management system (Figure 1) (Chi et al., 2021).
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