Pests of Fruit Crops

In the realm of global fruit production, India ranks second only to China, and fruits play a vital role in fulfilling the nutritional needs of society while also providing employment opportunities, particularly in rural agricultural economies of developing countries such as India. The advent of Hi-tech Horticulture has led to a paradigm shift in fruit crop cultivation, and climatic changes and increased cropping intensity have resulted in a remarkable and rapid transformation of the fruit ecosystem. Unfortunately, this shift has also led to a rise in biotic stresses, such as those caused by insect, mite, and nematode pests. The use of synthetic, poisonous chemical pesticides to protect fruit crops from insect pest devastation is a quick and easy solution, but it has significant drawbacks. Consequently, integrated approaches that incorporate cultural, mechanical, biological, and ecological management strategies in combination with safe and need-based pesticidal chemicals are necessary to combat this complex and pernicious problem. This compilation represents an exhaustive effort to gather information about banned and withdrawn pesticides, as well as other relevant details such as the host range, distribution, marks of identification, mode of feeding, and symptoms of infestation for various pests. In addition, experts from various reputable institutes across India have contributed their knowledge on the bionomics of the pests, biological control measures, pesticide residue problems, and ways to mitigate these issues.