The pest outbreaks and the excessive use of synthetic pesticides have become a major concern for agroecosystems globally. Therefore, the current study was designed to characterize and evaluate the bio-pesticidal potential of sericin, and marigold coated silver nanoparticles (AgNps) against three agricultural pests of cotton including cotton thrips Thrips tabaci), armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) and pink bollworm (Pectinophora gossypiella). Both the sericin and marigold silver nanoparticles were synthesized separately by using the sonication method and heat method respectively. The nanoparticles were characterized by using UV spectrometry and FTIR. The leaf dip method was used to evaluate the pesticidal activity of nanoparticles. Both the sericin and marigold conjugated AgNps (300mg/L, 200mg/L, 100mg/L and 50mg/L) showed significant bio-pesticidal activity against thrips (F8,18=20.015, P<0.001) armyworms (F8,18=19.097, P<0.001) and pink bollworms (F8,18=15.786, P<0.001). Aforementioned findings of the study concluded that marigold and sericin coated silver nanoparticles solution possess bio-pesticidal activity and can be used for effective control of cotton thrips, armyworms and pink bollworms.

The pest outbreaks and the excessive use of synthetic pesticides have become a major concern for agroecosystems globally. Therefore, the current study was designed to characterize and evaluate the bio-pesticidal potential of sericin, and marigold coated silver nanoparticles (AgNps) against three agricultural pests of cotton including cotton thrips Thrips tabaci), armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) and pink bollworm (Pectinophora gossypiella). Both the sericin and marigold silver nanoparticles were synthesized separately by using the sonication method and heat method respectively. The nanoparticles were characterized by using UV spectrometry and FTIR. The leaf dip method was used to evaluate the pesticidal activity of nanoparticles. Both the sericin and marigold conjugated AgNps (300mg/L, 200mg/L, 100mg/L and 50mg/L) showed significant bio-pesticidal activity against thrips (F8,18=20.015, P<0.001) armyworms (F8,18=19.097, P<0.001) and pink bollworms (F8,18=15.786, P<0.001). Aforementioned findings of the study concluded that marigold and sericin coated silver nanoparticles solution possess bio-pesticidal activity and can be used for effective control of cotton thrips, armyworms and pink bollworms.

Agriculture is the primary source of income in Pakistan, underpinning the national economy. Insect biodiversity, specifically Coleoptera (beetles), provides critical ecosystem services within agroecosystem, including pollination, decomposition, nutrient cycling, biological control, seed dispersal and serving as predator. This study assessed Coleoptera diversity across major cropping systems in Sialkot District, Punjab, Pakistan. Over a sampling period from March- June 2023, total 1437 specimens of 29 species belonging to eight different families were collected from four crop types including wheat, mixed fodder crops, sunflower, and vegetables. Coccinellidae with 507 specimens of (Coccinella septempunctata) and Chrysomelidae with 124 specimens of (Altica cyanea) were recorded as most prevalent families and species. There was less significant difference among data of different tehsils of Sialkot district. Beetles’ abundance varied significantly in different months, maximum in the month of May (40.5%). Canonical Corresponding Analysis (CCA) determines the impact of different environmental factors on presence of different species. The prominent species of Coleopteran are predator in nature, having capacity to control different pest species by acting as biological control agents. These findings will be helpful for their conservation in future for productive and functional agro-ecosystem and its sustainability.