To disseminate Insecticide Resistance Management (IRM) strategies, 10 villages were adopted in Muktsar district of Punjab during 2008 and 2009. Two villages were kept as check (Non-IRM) for comparing the impact of IRM strategies on the major insect pests and natural enemies in Bt cotton arthropod fauna.

Insecticide resistance management (IRM) strategy was devised and evaluated for the management of American bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) in cotton in on-farm research in Bathinda and surrounding villages, Punjab state, in 2002-2003 and 2003-2004 which is the main cotton area in the South-Western region of Punjab.

Studies on the population of key pests and natural enemies in RCH 134 Bt and non-Bt cotton hybrid under sprayed and unsprayed conditions were carried out under intercropped conditions. The cotton crop was intercropped with okra, pigeon pea, castor and cowpea to enhance the population build up of cotton jasid, whitefly, spotted bollworm and coccinellids.

A field trial was conducted during 2007-2008 crop season to study the effect of castor as a trap crop in cotton agroecosystem in relation to major insect pests. The treatments were 5, 10 and 15 rows of Bt cotton interspersed each with 1 row of castor, respectively, sole crop of Bt cotton and castor.