Bio‐intensive management of spiralling whitefly, <i>Aleurodicus dispersus</i> on cassava: Field efficacy, yield response and economics

Abstract The spiralling whitefly ( Aleurodicus dispersus Russell) is a major invasive pest affecting cassava ( Manihot esculenta Crantz) production systems across tropical regions. A two‐season field study was conducted in Tamil Nadu, India, to evaluate the effectiveness of a Bio‐Intensive Pest Management (BIPM) module against this pest. The BIPM strategy integrated yellow sticky traps, parasitoid ( Encarsia guadeloupae Viggiani), predator ( Mallada astur (Banks)), entomopathogenic fungi ( Lecanicillium lecanii [Zimmermann] Zare &amp; Gama, Isaria fumosorosea [Wize]), neem seed kernel extract and selective insecticide applications, arranged in a randomised block design with three treatments and eight replications. The BIPM module significantly suppressed whitefly populations (76.9 and 75.2 insects/leaf in Seasons 1 and 2, respectively) compared to the conventional method (226.1 and 228.4) and control plots (320.9 and 326.6). Cassava yield was significantly greater in BIPM plots (2.12 and 2.10 t/625 m 2 ), representing an average 41% increase over control. Economic analysis indicated the highest net profit (USD 55.70 and 56.48) and incremental cost–benefit ratio (12.94 and 12.72) under BIPM. Overall, the findings demonstrate that BIPM provides a sustainable, ecologically sound and economically viable approach for effective management of the spiralling whitefly in cassava‐based agro‐ecosystems.