Author(s):

Suchithra Kumari MH, Srinivas MP, Hanumatharaya L and Revanna Revannavar

Abstract: The trend of poor health index of all age groups is increasing across the world due to various reasons and incidents of death due to non communicable diseases are rising at an alarming rate. Hence, the opportunities which are available in ancient medical systems are being stressed upon to take into account an individual’s total internal, social and external environment while considering disease prevention, promotion and treatment. Therefore, medicinal and aromatic plants play an important role in achieving the goal of personal and public health care globally. Since antiquity, these medicinal and aromatic plants have been conserved and protected for their medicinal properties and hence Indian sub-continent is a rich repository of these plants. However, several biotic factors like insects, mites, disease causing organisms, nematodes and abiotic factors limit the successful cultivation of these plants in vast areas as well in new areas. Among these factors insects and mites are key components that cause considerable damage to these plants and sometimes the entire crop could be lost due to their increasing population. Hence, conservation and protection of medicinal and aromatic plants from the ravages of pests is a daunting task. As the chemicals used for the management of pests are toxic and could depreciate the therapeutic values of these plants, their use needs utmost care. Integrated pest management is the best strategy that could be tapped upon as it involves monitoring of pest populations below economic threshold levels, identify and choose combination tactics to keep the pest population at bay. These include cultural, mechanical, physical, biological and chemical management methods in combination or alone to arrest the pest population.

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