Maize (Zea mays) is a global staple crop that plays a critical role in food security; however, its production is increasingly threatened by insect pests. These challenges have intensified due to globalization, climate change, and agricultural intensification. Invasive species such as Spodoptera frugiperda have caused substantial yield losses across Africa and Asia, while native pests including Ostrinia furnacalis and Diabrotica virgifera virgifera continue to develop resistance to pesticides and Bt maize. Pest profiles differ considerably across regions, resulting in different management programs. The Americas rely heavily on integrated strategies combining Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) maize, crop rotation, and precision pesticide applications; Africa emphasizes low-cost solutions such as climate-adapted push–pull systems and microbial biopesticides; Asia prioritizes policy-driven integrated pest management (IPM) and large-scale releases of Trichogramma spp.; Europe focuses on agroecological practices and precision monitoring technologies; and Oceania adopts integrated approaches tailored to irrigated and rainfed production systems. Integrated pest management remains the cornerstone of sustainable maize protection, combining advanced monitoring technologies (e.g., remote sensing and AI-based models), cultural practices (such as intercropping and improved resistant varieties), biological control (including natural enemies and microbial agents), behavioral manipulation (e.g., pheromone traps and push–pull strategies), and regulated chemical control with resistance management. Emerging technologies, including digital agriculture, CRISPR-based breeding, and ecological engineering, offer promising opportunities for future pest management. However, major challenges remain, including insufficient cross-border collaboration, widespread pesticide resistance, unequal access to advanced technologies, and uncertainties in pest dynamics under climate change. Addressing these issues will require coordinated global monitoring networks, equitable technology transfer, promotion of agroecological practices, and standardized resistance management frameworks. Sustainable maize pest management therefore depends on transnational cooperation and innovative, context-specific strategies to safeguard global food security in a changing climate.
WANG et al. (Thu,) studied this question.