PINK BOLL WORM

Subject : Science & tech

Context :With the cotton season in Maharashtra is about to end, this year also saw the continual attacks of Pink Boll Worms (PBW) on the crop.

Concept :

It is an insect known for being a pest in cotton farming.
The pink bollworm is native to Asia, but has become an invasive species in most of the world’s cotton-growing regions.
The female moth lays eggs in a cotton boll, and when the larvae emerge from the eggs, they inflict damage through feeding.
Since cotton is used for both fiber and seed oil, the damage is twofold.
Their disruption of the protective tissue around the boll is a portal of entry for other insects and fungi.
Infestation on susceptible cotton is generally controlled with insecticides.
Populations of bollworms are also controlled with mating disruption, chemicals, and releases of sterile males which mate with the females but fail to fertilize their eggs.