author(s)
Gaikwad Mahesh Balaso, Challa Nalini, Panma Yankit and Priyanka Thakur

abstract
The production of agriculture is limited by many factors like soil, water, genetic potential of crops and organisms that feed on or compete with food plants. Food crops are damaged by more than thousands of insect pest species. The new alarming facts have prompted efforts on the safer, reduced-risk and environmental compatible method of pest control with the objective to maximize crop productivity. The push-pull strategy, which is novel approach of pest management by combination of behavior-modifying stimuli to manipulate distribution and abundance of insect pests and natural enemies. Insect pests are repelled from the food crop and are simultaneously attracted to a trap crop where they are concentrated, facilitating their elimination. The push and pull components are generally nontoxic. The strategy is a useful tool for integrated pest management programs reducing pesticide input. Therefore, the strategies are usually integrated with methods for population reduction, preferably biological and cultural control.