Recent Advances in the Management of Pink Bollworm in Cotton Ecosystems: A Comprehensive Review of Invasion Biology and Integrated Pest Management Approaches

Abstract

Pink bollworm (Pectinophora gossypiella) remains one of the most economically damaging pests of cotton worldwide, with particularly severe impacts in Pakistan, India, the United States and China. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the pest’s biology, invasion history, and management, highlighting how temperature and other climatic factors regulate its development, survival, and seasonal population dynamics. While Bt cotton dramatically reduce resilience on chemical insecticides following its introduction, the emergence of resistance linked to mutation in cadherin and ABC transporter genes has undermined control in several regions even as areas like the southwestern United States achieved near-eradication through integrated approaches. Field data from Punjab and other cotton belts show rising infestation trends tied to seasonal and climatic patterns, underscoring the need for region-specific monitoring. This review examines a broad-spectrum management tool, including cultural practices such as early sowing, season shortening, stalk destruction and deep ploughing; Pheromone-based tactics including mating disruption and mass trapping; biological control agents such as Trichogramma parasitoid and entomopathogenic fungi; and chemical options including newer selective insecticides and rotational spray programs. Findings across studies consistently indicate that no single tactic provides adequate suppression and that combining cultural, biological, pheromone-based and chemical strategies within an integrated pest management framework offers the most sustainable and economically viable path forward for cotton-growing regions facing continued pink bollworm pressure.