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Fruits play an important role in providing nutritional security and several other advantages in the society. Fruits are also valuable from religious, mythological and artistic aspects. These are not only delicious but also have many nutrients which are very much essential for human health. Man cannot live on cereals alone and importance of fruits in balanced diet is well recognized. These are good sources of vitamins and minerals without which human body cannot maintain proper health and develop resistance to diseases. In the modern era, the Global conception of transformation in the food consumption pattern is away from rice, wheat and pulses and this health consciousness are causing major shift in the focus towards the fruit crops that resulted in greater demand for fruits in domestic as well as international market. The fruit crops produce good yield and generate higher return even ona small piece of land.

Mango (Mangifera indica Linn.) (Family-Anacardiaceae) is one of the most popular tropical and sub-tropical fruit crops in India and is well known as the “King of Fruits”. Mango is the national fruit of India and Pakistan as well as national tree of Bangladesh. It is cultivated worldwide in 49.46 lakh hectares with a production of 371.20 lakh tonnes. In India, the crop is cultivated in the largest area of 23.12 lakh hectares among all the countries in the world and production is around 150.30 lakh tonnes, contributing 40.48% of the total world production. India exports 59.22 thousand tonnes of mangoes to 40 different countries worldwide, valuing Rs. 162.92 crores (Anonymous, 2019).

Citrus genus belongs to the family Rutaceae that comes in various forms and sizes (from round to oblong) that commonly known as oranges, mandarins, limes, lemons and citrons. Besides being consumed as raw/fresh fruits, they are also used in the industries of beverages, cosmetic and pharmaceuticals. Citrus fruits have got abundant quantity of vitamin-C and other micronutrients like sugars, dietary fiber, potassium, folate, calcium, thiamin, niacin, vitamin B6, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, riboflavin and pantothenic acids etc. (Economos, 1999). Secondary metabolites like flavonoids, limonoids, coumarins, alkaloids, phenolic acids and other essential oils of this fruit also have anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancerous as well as cardiovascular protective effects (Lu et al., 2015).

Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.) belongs to family Moraceae, is the largest edible fruit in the world (Naik, 1949 and Sturrock, 1977). It is one of the most popular and important fruit crops and is the national fruit of Bangladesh (Haque, 1977). The jackfruit tree is widely cultivated in tropical regions of India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. Jackfruit is alsofound across Africa, e.g., in Cameroon, Uganda, Tanzania, and Mauritius, as well asthroughout Brazil and Caribbean nations such as Jamaica. However, jackfruit originally native to Indian subcontinent, is now widely cultivated in the tropics of both hemispheres (Ochas et al., 1981).

Banana is the eighth most important food crop in the world. It is widely cultivated in over 130 countries in the tropics and sub tropics of Asia, Africa and the United States. Plantains and bananas are next important to major cereals, forming a key component in food security and agricultural sustainability in the developing economics (Patel and Shukla, 2009, Shukla, 2010; Deepah and Paranjothi, 2010). Banana ranks fifth in the global market of agricultural commodities and is one of the largest traded fruit crops. It is popularly known as “Apple of the Paradise ”. The per capita starch output of banana from unit cultivated area is almost near cassava and sweet potatoes (Choudhary, 2015).

The litchi or ‘lychee’ (Litchi chinensis Sonnen) is an evergreen subtropical fruit tree of the family Sapindaceae. It is known for its delicious fragrance, quality and juicy fruits contributing significantly to the nation’s economy. India is the second largest producer of litchi in the world after China with an area and production of 82,000 ha and 555,000 tonnes, respectively during 2012-13 (DAC, 2013).So far as Eastern India is concerned, Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal accounts for 85% of the total litchi production in the country. The state Bihar alone contributes 45% of total litchi production and occupies nearly 40% of the area in India. In India litchi is being grown in an area of 89000 ha with a total production of 556 000 MT annually (http://nhb.gov.in).

Guava, Psidium guajava Linn. was originated in tropical America and is presently cultivated in the tropical and subtropical world (Al-Fwaeer, 2013). It is considered one of the healthiest fruit because it has many medicinal properties. Right from strengthening our immune system to regulating a healthy and ideal blood pressure, Guava provides multiple health benefits. It is one of the richest sources of Vitamin C, minerals, dietary fiber and fulfills about 20% of our daily folate (Vitamin-B9) requirement which is not produced in our body and is essential for DNA repair and synthesis (Kevat, 2013). But its steady production is hampered due to a number of biotic and abiotic stresses. Amongst the biotic stresses, insect pests contribute to the maximum strength for declining its production.

Pineapple Ananas comosus (Linn.) Merr. (Family – Bromeliaceae) is a tropical plant with edible fruit comprising of coalesced and the most economically important plant. The pineapple is native of southern Brazil and its wild relatives present at Paraguay. It was introduced in India by the Portuguese. Before arrival of Columbus the Indians deported it to West Indies. The Spanish introduced pineapple in Philippines. It was also introduced in Hawaii during early 16th Century. The fruit reached in England during 1660 and began to grown in greenhouses in around 1720.

Pomegranate (Punica granatum Linn.) is an important fruit crop cultivated in arid and semi-arid regions, serving nutritional, medicinal and aesthetic need of human beings. It is grown in Iran, Spain, India, Moracco, Egypt, Afghanistan, Arabia, West Pakistan, Bangladesh, Burma, China, USA and Japan.World pomegranate production is currently estimated at 1.5-2.0 million tonnes, 90% of which is in Iran and India. The rest is distributed amongst various Mediterranean countries, China, the United States, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, and Argentina (CBI, 2014). In India, it is found from Kashmir to Kanyakumari cultivated in Maharashtra,Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu,Karnataka andAndhra Pradesh.Among the different states growing pomegranate, Maharashtra is the largest producer occupying 2/3rd of the cultivated area in India followed by Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan.

Papaya (Carica papaya Linn.) belongs to the family Caricaceae was introduced in India in 16th century by the Portugese. It is one of the few plants which produce fruits throughout the year. It owes its popularity to various simple reasons like, it requires less area per tree, comes to fruiting in a year, easy to cultivate, provides per hectare income next only to banana and has a high nutritive and medicinal value. Though papaya is a native of tropical America but presently it is being grown in all the tropical and sub-tropical countries, e.g. Australia, Hawaii, Taiwan, Peurto Rico, Peru, Florida, Texas, California in the USA, various parts of Central and South Africa, Pakistan, Bangladesh and India.

Sapota, Manilkara zapota (Linn.) (Family: Sapotaceae), commonly known as sapodilla or chiku, is a perennial and evergreen fruit tree. It is native to Southern Mexico, Central America as well as Caribbean. This fruit was introduced during 1888 in Thane district of Maharashtra in India (Cheema et al., 1954). Now, it is an important tropical fruit grown almost throughout the country except in hilly areas. The fruit is a rich source of sugar, minerals, vitamins and dietary fibers. Presently the India is considered to be the largest producer of Sapota in the world (Nandre and Shukla, 2014).

The Indian gooseberry or amla (Phyllanthus emblica Linn.; Family: Euphorbiaceae) is a deciduous fruit largely cultivated in the Indian subcontinent for its fruits. Amla is native to the tropical South Eastern Asia, particularly the Central and Southern India (Mortan, 1960), where the plants are often seen to grow in the wild up to an elevation of 1800 m (Firminger, 1947). In India, amla is mostly cultivated in the semi-arid regions of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and the Aravalli ranges in Haryana, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh (Pathak, 2003). The tree attains a height of 8 to 18 m, with a crooked trunk and spreading pattern of branching. The branchlets are glabrous or finely pubescent; leaves are simple, nearly stalkless, set along the branchlets resembling pinnate type. 

Ber (Ziziphus mauritiana Lam.) is one of the most ancient and important fruit crops. It is considered as the “King of arid zone fruits”, due to its adaptations to tolerate the biotic and abiotic stresses prevailing under rainfed conditions (Anbu et al., 2009). It is also called as desert apple, jujube, Badari (Sanskrit), Chinee apple, Ber (Hindi), Kul or Boroi (Bengali), Indian plum, Boroi, Beri, Permseret (Anguilla) etc. It is a tropical fruit tree that belongs to the family Rhamnaceae. Ber is rich in amino acids, protein, sugar, calcium, phosphorus, carbohydrates, iron, vitamin A, ascorbic acid. The fruit contains from 70 and 165 mg ascorbic acid per 100 gm of pulp, which is two to four times higher than the vitamin C content of citrus fruits. The mineral content of phosphorus, calcium and iron in Z. mauritiana fruit is also reported as being higher than in apples and even oranges (Morton et al., 1987, Jawanda and Bal,1978).

Grape, Vitis vinifera Linn. is one of the most important fruit crops grown in India. It belongs to the family Vitaceae and is a remunerative temperate fruit crop of India. It is believed that Armenia near the Caspian and Black seas in Russia is the centre of origin of grape. By the end of 12th century, it was introduced in India from Iran and Afghanistan. Grapes are normally eaten fresh as table fruit. Grapes are used in a wide range of food products - from raisins to wine. They are also loaded with several nutrients and antioxidants and also have high amounts of phytonutrient resveratrol. According to some studies, this phytonutrient is good for heart. It is a good source of calcium, phosphorus, iron and vitamins. In fact, while grapes are good for our overall health, it is especially lauded for its heart benefits. There are several colours of grapes, including red, black, purple or blue (concord), green (which is used to make white wine), pink and yellow. Concord grapes are usually used to make grape juice, grape jelly and grape flavouring.

Apple (Malus pumila, though erroneously and commonly called Malus domestica) is a deciduous plant and considered to be the world’s one of the oldest fruit crops. The tree originated from Central Asia where M. sieversii, wild ancestor of cultivated apple is still found today. It is one of the most important table fruits of the world and excels other fruits in having prolonged keeping quality and wide variety of flavour and taste. It is a highly remunerative crop and is grown in all temperate regions of the world. In India apple is mostly grown in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and some parts of Arunachal Pradesh.

Cashew (Anacardium occidentale L., Family: Anacardiaceae) is a very important crop in India for earning foreign exchange. Portuguese travelers introduced this plant into India from Brazil during sixteenth century and the purpose was to check soil erosion on the coastal area. Though initially this crop is considered as a remedy for soil conservation, wasteland development and afforestation, but it gradually became a commercial important crop. Cashew is now widely grown in tropical regions and well adapted to the climatic condition of India. Now India becomes the largest producer, consumer, processor and exporter of cashew in the world. In India, cashew is mainly cultivated in Goa, Maharashtra, Kerala and Karnataka along the West coast and Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Orissa, Pondicherry and West Bengal along the East coast. To a limited extent it is also grown in some nontraditional areas like Kolar region of Karnataka and Bastar region of Chhattisgarh.

Strawberry (Fragaria vesca) is an important fruit crop in India and its commercial production is possible in temperate and sub-tropical areas of the country. According to the Ministry Agriculture, Government of India estimates, production of the fruit in India has dropped by 40% from 8,000 metric tonnes in 2014-15 to around 5,000 metric tonnes in both 2015-16 and 2016-17. Strawberries mainly consist of water (91%) and carbohydrates (7.7%). They contain only minor amounts of fat (0.3%) and protein (0.7%). The nutrients in 100 gm of raw strawberries are, calories 32, 91% water, 0.7gm protein, 7.7 gm carbohydrate, 4.9 gm sugar, 2 gm fiber and 0.3 gm fat. Strawberries should not lead to big spikes in blood sugar levels and are considered safe for people with diabetes. It is also useful for weight loss and can help prevent many diseases.The most abundant vitamins and minerals in strawberries are, vitamin C, vitamin B9, potassium and manganese. To a lesser extent, strawberries also provide iron, copper, magnesium, phosphorus and vitamins B6, K and E.

Resource management has become a formidable task with loss of cultivable land to urbanization. Coercion to increase production has resulted in adoption of intense farming. This, however, has resulted in significant increase in the pest problem. Despite ten-fold increase in insecticide use during the last 80 years, losses inflicted by pests have nearly doubled. Estimates of yield losses caused by various pests attack range from 10-35% in various crops during different seasons which account for about 2000 crore revenue loss to the horticulture industry and is further projected at 5000 crore or more in future due to changing climate and intense farming (Reddy, 2010 and Rather, et al, 2013).

Perennial nature of horticultural fruit crops provides a stable environment for the buildup and development of mite populations, as against the ephemeral habitat of short-lived plants. The phytophagous mites are represented by 169 species whereas 148 species belong to the predatory group. Mites (subclass Acari) are ecologically and morphologically very diverse group of tiny invertebrates that belong to the class Arachnida (along with scorpions and spiders), subphylum Chelicerata under Arthropods. As arthropods also include insects, but mites are differ because they have four pair of legs (insects are hexapods), lack of true head and conspicuous segmentation of the body. 

Most of the plant parasitic-nematodes (PPNs)are worm-shaped microscopic animals. They are virtually invisible through naked eyes when present in soil or plant materials. It has been estimated that of the known nematode species, approximately 50% are free-living found in soil and fresh water, 25% are marine (found in sea water), 15% are animal parasites, and 10% are plant-parasites (Walia and Bajaj, 2004; Sasser and Freckman, 1987). Free living nematodes contribute to maintain the soil bio-dynamic system, by influencing microbial colonization of substrates and mineralization of nutrients (Neher, 2001), whereas PPNs feed on plants and reduce crop growth and yield efficiency. Among the PPNs, a few nematode species feed on aerial plant parts (leaves, stems, flowers and seeds), but the majority of feed on underground plant parts (roots, bulbs, and tubers).

Chemical pest management is neither economically nor ecologically sustainable. As for example, the USA spent an estimated $11 billion on pesticides in 2008, applying more than 480 million pounds of these chemicals to its agricultural fields (Fernandez-Cornejo, et al, 2009). Despite this widespread use of pesticides, which cause severe harm to the mankind as well as the ecosystem, estimate suggest that 37% of the crop yield of the USA are lost due to pests (Pimentel, et al, 1992). This type of situation is witnessed all throughout the world. Under these circumstances, the natural enemies of agricultural pests may offer a sustainable solution to pest problems and the management they offer is worth of $13 billion per year in the USA (Losey and Vaughan, 2006). So, conservation of these biological control agents in the ecosystem is very much important for the sustainability as well as the health of the environment. Conservation and augmentation of natural enemies are among the main task in Conservation Biological Control (CBC).

India is an agrarian country where around 70% of the total population is engaged in farming activities. Agriculture and allied sectors are undoubtedly the largest livelihood provider of India, along with significant contribution towards the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country. Agricultural production has been raised dramatically in the recent past to feed our burgeoning population with the help of modern inputs like fertilizers, pesticides, mechanical devices for tilling, seeding and irrigating the crops. With the advancement of agro-inputs, incidence of various kinds of pests also increases that hugely threaten our food security.