Plant Nutrition: A tool for the management of hemipteran insect-pests-A review

Nutrition of plants has a substantial impact on the predisposition of plants to insect-pests. Regulated and balanced crop fertilization can be helpful in altering host plant susceptibility to sucking insect-pests. Hemipteran herbivores are sensitive to alteration in host plant nutrition. Primary pest defence of plants like biochemical, physical and mechanical properties can be enhanced by balanced fertilization with plant nutrients. All plant nutrients may affect plant health but two of them namely, nitrogen and potassium play a major role. The effect of other nutrients is less frequently mentioned. Most studies revealed that generally excessive use of nitrogen decreases crop resistance to pests whereas potassium increases the same. So, the agricultural practices like excessive, injudicious and unscientific use of fertilizers can result in nutrient imbalance and finally into increased attack of insect-pests. Careful consideration of present and future information on this topic can lead to better predictive capabilities in hemipteran insect-pest management.