Push-pull systems: An integrated approach to whitefly management using repellents, trap crops, and mulches

The sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci MEAM1 (Gennadiaus) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), is a notorious pest of vegetable crops in Florida. This whitefly is known as a supervector, as it can transmit over 150 different plant viruses. In some cases, vegetable growers may face total crop loss due to the sweetpotato whitefly and its associated viruses. Growers frequently rely on insecticides for management, and while these chemicals can be effective in reducing whitefly populations, they cannot effectively slow the spread of viruses. Therefore, additional management tools are needed to reduce the yield losses caused by whitefly-transmitted viruses. One such alternative is to use push-pull systems, a management strategy which combines repellent ‘push’ and attractive ‘pull’ components to reduce pest colonization and infestation. A push-pull system was devised for whiteflies, with a repellent spray (limonene and kaolin clay) and reflective mulch as the push components and an eggplant trap crop as a pull component. This system was evaluated in field-grown, organic squash during the fall 2024 growing season. Reflective mulch significantly reduced the number of whitefly adults early season, while the trap crop provided reduction late season. When combined, these two components had an additive effect, providing consistent, season-long reduction in whitefly populations. The repellent spray also provided reductions in whitefly populations and had an additive effect when paired with the trap crop. These findings may provide growers with new options for whitefly management.