Trap Cropping Strategies for Insect Pest Management

Trap cropping is an agroecological approach that uses selected plants to divert pest insects from a cash crop by offering an alternative, more attractive host. The core principle is to concentrate pest populations on sacrificial plants—either at field margins or within intercropped strips—where they can be more easily monitored and controlled. Strategies range from simple border trap crops to sophisticated push–pull systems that combine repellents in the main crop with attractive trap species. Effective design depends on the ecological compatibility of trap and cash crops, precise timing of trap planting relative to pest phenology, optimal density and spatial arrangement, and an understanding of pest host-search behaviour and oviposition cues. When correctly implemented, trap cropping can substantially reduce pesticide inputs, conserve natural enemies and enhance biodiversity, yielding economic benefits and mitigating adverse environmental effects. Challenges remain in selecting universally effective trap species, adapting systems to diverse climates and cropping systems, and integrating trap cropping into broader decision-support frameworks within integrated pest management (IPM).

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have illuminated how specialist and generalist root-feeding larvae respond to different plant species during host search. Detailed behavioural analyses reveal that pest neonates adjust movement speed, turning angles and search radii according to host acceptance, which informs the optimal placement and density of trap roots in field settings. This work deepens our understanding of the mechanistic basis for trap crop efficacy by quantifying the sensory and locomotory responses of key pests, thereby providing a scientific foundation for designing trap-root barriers and improving interception rates in subterranean environments.

Trap Cropping Strategies for Insect Pest Management publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in trap cropping strategies for insect pest management across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Trap cropping: The use of a sacrificial plant to lure pest insects away from a main crop, facilitating targeted monitoring or control.

Companion planting: The strategic cultivation of multiple plant species together to enhance pest management, pollination or nutrient dynamics.

Insectary plants: Flowering species incorporated to provide nectar, pollen and habitat resources for natural enemies such as parasitoids and predators.

Oviposition: The process by which female insects lay eggs, often guided by plant‐derived cues that influence site selection.

Phenology: The study of the timing of life‐cycle events in organisms, used in IPM to synchronise interventions with pest development stages.

References

1. Host search behaviors of specialist and generalist root feeding herbivores (Diabrotica spp.) on host and non-host plants. Scientific Reports (2023).
2. Application of Trap Cropping as Companion Plants for the Management of Agricultural Pests: A Review. Insects (2018).
3. The ‘Botanical Triad’: The Presence of Insectary Plants Enhances Natural Enemy Abundance on Trap Crop Plants in an Organic Cabbage Agro-Ecosystem. Insects (2019).
4. Oviposition Preference of the Cabbage Root Fly towards Some Chinese Cabbage Cultivars: A Search for Future Trap Crop Candidates. Insects (2020).