Diamondback moth (DBM), Plutella xylostella, is a global pest of Brassicaceae crops, resulting in a global economic burden of $ 4-5 billion annually, partly due to rapid insecticide resistance development. Several natural enemies of DBM attack its larval and pupal stages and can regulate DBM populations through high parasitism rates (>80%). However, growers’ reliance on insecticides reduces beneficial natural enemies and selects for insecticide resistance. Insectary plants, such as sweet alyssum flowers, can enhance biocontrol if strategically introduced. We conducted experimental trials in control (collards only) and treatment (collards + alyssum flower strips) brassica farms to evaluate the potential of alyssum flowers in enhancing DBM biocontrol at different spatial scales. We aim to investigate how alyssum influences 1) DBM parasitism rate and whether parasitism decreases with increased distance from alyssum, 2) predator abundance and 3) marketable brassica yield. Sentinel collard plants infested with DBM larvae were deployed at different distances within control and treatment collard farms to assess DBM parasitism rate. Pitfall traps were deployed at the edge and center of each field to evaluate predator abundance. Collard damage ratings were taken to evaluate how alyssum flowers influence the marketable brassica yield. The results would determine if alyssum could enhance parasitism rate, predator activity and marketable collard production. Strategically incorporating sweet alyssum flowers could formulate an efficient and economical biocontrol program to reduce DBM pest problems, consequently decreasing the reliance on broad-spectrum pesticides and increasing farmers’ profitability in the southeastern United States.
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