Last Updated on March 25, 2026 by Stella Canfield
A new study finds that papaya banker plants can strengthen control of the sweet potato whitefly, one of the most damaging pests in ornamental crop production. Published in the journal “Biological Control,” the research highlights a promising strategy to reduce pest pressure while relying less on chemical insecticides.
Funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Floriculture and Research Initiative, the three-year study evaluated how well a papaya banker plant system supported Delphastus pallidus (D. pallidus), a predatory beetle native to Florida that feeds on whitefly eggs and immature stages.
“It was crucial to look for new ways to biologically control the sweet potato whitefly because it adapts quickly, causes significant damage to crops, and has developed resistance to multiple insecticides,” said Lance Osborne, professor of entomology at the UF/IFAS Mid-Florida Research and Education Center.
To evaluate the system, researchers compared four treatments: A papaya banker plant system with D. pallidus, direct releases of D. pallidus without a banker plant, conventional chemical insecticide applications and an untreated control. Each week, they recorded the number of whiteflies and beetles to assess how well each approach suppressed the pest.
The study found that papaya banker plant systems helped maintain stronger and more consistent D. pallidus populations than direct releases alone, and compared to the untreated control, achieved whitefly suppression equal to or better than the grower-standard insecticide treatment. These results suggest that papaya banker plants can help establish and support beneficial insects like D. pallidus.
“Banker plant systems give beneficial insects a place to establish in the greenhouse,” said Cindy McKenzie, research entomologist and team leader with the USDA. “Papaya banker plants provide a continuous resource, helping D. pallidus populations respond more quickly and effectively when whitefly populations begin to increase.”
The findings are especially significant for poinsettia production, where whiteflies rank among the crop’s most destructive pests. With more than 70 million poinsettias sold during a six-week holiday season – an industry valued at over $250 million – effective whitefly management is crucial to maintaining crop quality and profitability.
This study was made possible through the contributions of all project team members: Young-gyun Park, Erich N. Schoeller, Muhammad Z. Ahmed, Cindy L. McKenzie, and Lance S. Osborne.
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