Push-pull strategy combined with net houses for controlling cowpea insect pests and enhancing crop yields

Net houses can be used in tropical environments to protect crops such as cowpea against large insect pests, thereby avoiding pesticide treatments while sustainably mitigating the effects of climate change. We investigated a push-pull strategy prevent small pest outbreaks net house. The push component consisted two stimulus plants, i.e. Cymbopogon citratus and Tagetes minuta, pull stimuli visual cues from blue yellow sticky traps. Field experiments were set up central Kenya conducted during rainy dry season, involving an open field control treatment, three management consisting (1) (2) house treatment (3) combined + treatment. Trialeurodes vaporariorum infestations lower than period or period. Aphis craccivora higher period, no differences observed among Megalurothrips sjostedti did not vary both periods. Among larger Clavigralla tomentosicollis Maruca vitrata control. During C. whereas M. treatments. Compared control, Empoasca sp. periods, Cowpea pod grain yield quality irrespective Although 1 reduced some effective protecting cowpeas most pests improving yields