Raju Raj Pandey1 and Indra Raj Pandey2
1 Citrus Research Board, California, USA,
2 Nepal Horticulture Promotion Center, Lalitpur Nepal
Abstract
Increased international trade and travel has led to increased risk of introduction of invasive pests. Invasion of tomato leaf miner (Tutaabsoluta) and fall armyworm (Spodopterafrugiperda) in Nepal are most obvious examples of howmuch economic destruction can they bring to agricultural development in the country. Phthorimaeaoperculella, Plasmodiophora brassica, Mikania micrantha, Parthenium hysterophorus and Eichhorniacrassipes are other examples.When these pests invade a new geographical region, they usually leave behind their natural enemies from their original sites leading to their population outbreak unchecked. Lack of effective external as well as internal quarantine system in the country has made it easy for an invasive pest to quickly spread and establish in a larger geographical region. Once the pest is spread to larger regions, developingintegrating pest management. Use of chemicals appears to be a short-term solution, but search for natural enemies locally as well as from the site of pest origin is the most sustainable tool for the management of invasive pests. Generalist predators and parasites may adapt to newly arrived organism. Surveying for determining extent of pest population suppression by resident biological control agents may provide some options for pest management, butimportation of more specialist predators, parasites, pathogens from the source of pest origin may help to stabilize the pest population. Eventually, determination of economic threshold and identification of effective pesticidesapplication frequency in association with cultural methods, available host plant resistance, and utilization of natural enemies needs to be developed.