Indian mustard contains elevated levels of glucosinolates that stimulate feeding. In growers' fields, beetles congregate on the trap crop and avoid feeding on the commercial crop. Adoption of this technique eliminates the need for early season applications of foliar insecticides to control flea beetles. Plantings of Indian mustard also appear to enhance the activity of biological control agents. Large numbers of several species of parasites and predators can be found on these plants throughout the season.
Indian mustard provides a suitable refuge and an abundance of prey for the beneficial insects.
The use of trap crops and reduced reliance on insecticides improves the survival of beneficial insects on the commercial crop and helps slow the development of insecticide resistance. Sprays can be limited to widely-spaced rows of Indian mustard. Growers will be encouraged to put more reliance on an IPM threshold driven resistance management strategy versus prophylactic in-furrow applications. The preferred program for 1996 is designed to limit the area treated in Ontario with imidacloprid to avoid increased selection pressure for resistance. Baculoviruses as Microbial Pest Control Agents Benefits of Biotechnology Larva killed by Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus.