Ultraviolet-absorbing film both reduce major pest abundance (Thripidea & Diptera) and promote crop yield for greenhouse cowpea Vigna unguiculata

Megalurothrips usitatus and Liriomyza trifolii are the main pests on cowpea crops. Developing green technology to control these pests is urgently needed, because they have developed high-level resistance to most insecticides. In this study, a self -developed UV -absorbing film greenhouse (UV-FG) was constructed, and its effects on controlling pests and plant quality were evaluated. The results showed that UV-FG could significantly reduce M. usitatus and L. trifolii populations. The height of cowpea in UV-FG was significantly higher than that in conventional greenhouse (C-FG) from the flowering stage to the harvest stage (p < 0.05). The average yield in UV-FG was 1199.67 kg per 667 m2, which was more than 10% higher than those in other treatments, and the single fruit weight and length of harvest period in UV-FG were significantly higher or longer than those of other treatments (p < 0.05). The contents of intrinsic nutrients showed no substantial differences between UV-FG and C-FG. The use of UV-FG could significantly reduce pest outbreak, improve crop yield, and greatly reduce pesticide residues. Our results showed that UV -blocking materials could become a valuable strategy for the integrated management of M. usitatus and L. trifolii in plants grown in enclosed environments.