The whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) is widely distributed over tropical and subtropical regions and is found on over 500 species of plants. An upsurge of this insect species has been noticed in recent years in the cotton system in India resulting in a heavy loss of seed cotton and reduced spinnability of cotton fibres.
Onset of drought and related ecological changes, including man's intervention, were the prime causes for the upsurge of whitefly in the cotton system. Prolonged drought suppressed the growth of host plants in the ecosystem, favouring immigration of whitefly from non-agricultural systems to agricultural production areas. Further, an abundance of virus-infected host plant species, the existence of favourable temperatures, shortening of the life cycle, elimination of natural enemies and increased fecundity due to availability of life-supporting chemicals in host plants following frequent application of insecticides enhanced the population upsurge of whitefly in the cotton system in India.
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