Cover Crops Enhance Natural Enemies While Help Suppressing Pests in a Tea Plantation

2019 ◽  
Vol 112 (4) ◽  
pp. 348-355 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li-Lin Chen ◽  
Pei Yuan ◽  
Min-Sheng You ◽  
Gabor Pozsgai ◽  
Xu Ma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Beneficial Arthropods ◽  
Vigna Sinensis ◽  
Free Products ◽  
Tea Plantation ◽  
Tea Plantations ◽  
Trifolium Repens L ◽  
Arthropod Biodiversity ◽  
Sustainable Pest Control

Abstract Tea is an economically important crop, consumed by billions of people. Despite the increasing market for pesticide-free products, the use of pesticide in tea is still high. In order to investigate whether intercropping promotes biological control organisms, Chamaecrista rotundifolia (Pers.) Greene, Indigofera hendecaphylla Jacq., Trifolium repens L., and Vigna sinensis (L.) were separately intercropped with free weeding as control in a tea plantation at Yangli, China. Arthropods were collected by taking sweep-net samples, and treatment effects on assemblages were investigated. The combined species richness of all arthropods and that of parasitoids was significantly increased in intercropped treatments while the species richness of herbivores and predators was only greater in C. rotundifolia and I. hendecaphylla intercropped treatments. Compared with control, the combined abundance of all arthropods, and that of herbivores was lower, while the abundance of parasitoids and its taxa was greater in all intercropped treatments. The abundance of predators and its taxa was greater only in tea plantations intercropped with C. rotundifolia or I. hendecaphylla. Of the herbivores, the abundance of Empoasca onukii Matsuda, Sternorrhyncha, Aleyrodidae, and Pentatomidae was greater in the areas intercropped with C. rotundifolia in comparison with the control, but the abundance of Thysanoptera and Geometridae caterpillars was lower. The recorded increase in the abundance of beneficial arthropods may explain the lower abundance of Thysanoptera or Geometridae caterpillars detected in the intercropped tea plantations. Our results indicate that intercropping has the potential to enhance arthropod biodiversity, and to provide an option for sustainable pest control in tea plantations.

scholarly journals Effects of cover crops on beetle assemblages in tea plantations

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li-Lin Chen ◽  
Gabor Pozsgai ◽  
Xiang-Yu Li ◽  
Lei Li ◽  
Gadi V.P. Reddy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Pest Management ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Paspalum Notatum ◽  
Bare Ground ◽  
Tea Plantations ◽  
Beetle Assemblages ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Species Richness And Abundance

AbstractBeetles are visible members of food webs in tea plantations, with high species richness and abundance. Many tea pests, as well as natural enemies, are members of this order, so a knowledge of how groundcovers affect beetles can aid pest management. We collected beetles in a replicated field experiment in the Wuyi Mountains, Fujian Province China. Tea was intercropped with Paspalum notatum or Chamaecrista rotundifolia, or rows were cleared to bare ground, or in the control they were left unmanaged to allow weeds to grow naturally. Sampling, done by sweep netting and vegetation beating, was conducted monthly, between May 2006 and April 2008, and Coleoptera abundance, biomass, species richness and assemblage structures were compared between groundcover treatments. Total beetle abundance and species richness were significantly higher in tea intercropped with C. rotundifolia and bare ground than in naturally grown weedy control. Whilst there was no difference between predator assemblages among treatments for any measure, herbivores were more abundant, weighed more, and were more diverse in C. rotundifolia treatments than in weedy control. Biomass and species richness were also greater in plots with P. notatum groundcover than those in weedy control. We found that beetle assemblages varied both seasonally and with ground cover treatment, but the potential pest control impact of more species-rich beetle assemblages was mixed, and further work is needed to gain information on trophic groups with potential benefits for use in non-insecticidal pest management.

scholarly journals A Comparison of Flower and Grass Strips for Augmentation of Beneficial Arthropods in Apple Orchards

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhaoke Dong ◽  
Mengjing Xia ◽  
Cheng Li ◽  
Baofeng Mu ◽  
Zhiyong Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Natural Enemies ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Habitat Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
The Other ◽  
Alternative Prey ◽  
Apple Orchards ◽  
Beneficial Arthropods ◽  
Arthropod Predators

Sowing plants that provide food resources in orchards is a potential habitat management practice for enhancing biological control. Flowering plants (providing pollen and nectar) and grasses (providing alternative prey) can benefit natural enemies in orchards; however, little is known about their relative importance. We studied the effect of management practices (flower strips, grass strips, and spontaneous grass) on arthropod predators under organic apple management regimes in apple orchards in Beijing, China. Orchards located at two different sites were assessed for 3 years (2017–2019). The cover crops had a significant impact on the abundance and diversity of arthropod predators. The grass treatment consistently supported significantly greater densities of alternative prey resources for predators, and predators were more abundant in the grass than in the other treatments. The Shannon–Wiener diversity was significantly higher for the cover crop treatment than for the control. Community structure was somewhat similar between the grass and control, but it differed between the flower treatment and grass/control. Weak evidence for an increase in mobile predators (ladybirds and lacewings) in the orchard canopy was found. Ladybirds and lacewings were more abundant in the grass treatment than in the other treatments in 2019 only, while the aphid abundance in the grass treatment was lowest. The fact that grass strips promoted higher predator abundance and stronger aphid suppression in comparison to the flower strips suggests that providing alternative prey for predators has great biocontrol service potential. The selection of cover crops and necessary management for conserving natural enemies in orchards are discussed in this paper.

scholarly journals Effects of cover crops on beetle assemblages in tea plantations

2021 ◽  
pp. 105783
Author(s):  
Li-Lin Chen ◽  
Gabor Pozsgai ◽  
Xiang-Yu Li ◽  
Lei Li ◽  
Gadi V.P. Reddy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Tea Plantations ◽  
Beetle Assemblages

Importance of shade trees (Grevillea robusta) in the dispersal of forest tree species in managed tea plantations of southern Western Ghats, India

2012 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 187-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. C. Chetana ◽  
T. Ganesh
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Forest Tree ◽  
Forest Edge ◽  
Shade Trees ◽  
Grevillea Robusta ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Species Dominance ◽  
Shade Tree ◽  
Tea Plantations ◽  
Southern Western Ghats

Abstract:Abandoned plantations of coffee, tea and other commercial crops offer opportunities for understanding ecological processes in modified forest ecosystems. Unlike tree plantations tea is maintained as a shrub with a continuous dense short canopy that precludes large-frugivore activity thereby limiting dispersal of forest species to such areas. In this study we determine how location and density of Grevillea robusta a shade tree in tea plantations and proximity of plantations to forests influences seed arrival from forests into the plantations. We also estimate the importance of dispersal modes in the colonization processes. We laid 10 × 10-m plots at three distance intervals from the forest edge in three different plantation types with varying shade tree densities. Within the plots we laid four 1× 1-m subplots at the corners of the plot. We estimated species richness, abundance and categorized the seeds into dispersal modes in these plots. Grevillea robusta increased species richness of seeds by three times and abundance of seeds by 3–30 times compared with plantations without them. Higher density of G. robusta increased seed input changed species composition and altered species dominance in the plantations. Distance to forests influenced seed arrival in plantations without G. robusta trees and plots 95 m from the forest did not have any seeds in them. No such effect was seen in plantations with G. robusta trees. Seeds dispersed by birds or a combination of birds and mammals contribute 30% of the seeds reaching the plantations with G. robusta and this was not influenced by distance from the forest. In plantations without G. robusta bird dispersal is restricted to 25 m from the forest edge. In general density of shade trees has a strong influence on seed arrival which can negate the forest proximity effect and enhance natural forest colonization.

scholarly journals INDEKS STABILITAS AGREGAT TANAH PADA PERKEBUNAN TEH BERBASIS SLOPE DAN UMUR TANAMAN DI KECAMATAN GUNUNG TALANG KABUPATEN SOLOK

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-81
Author(s):  
Dendy Detafiano Prakasa Afner ◽  
A Aprisal ◽  
Y Yulnafatmawita
Keyword(s):  
Aggregate Stability ◽  
Stability Index ◽  
Soil Aggregate ◽  
Soil Physical Properties ◽  
Soil Samples ◽  
Tea Plantation ◽  
Soil Aggregate Stability ◽  
Tea Plantations ◽  
Chemical Conditions ◽  
Physical And Chemical

Land-use change from the forest into tea plantation in Solok Regency in 1983 has decreased the area of forests in Gunung Talang District. Clearing up the forest at the beginning for tea plantation could worsen the physical and chemical conditions of the soil. One of which is soil aggregate stability that is very dynamic and can influence other soil physical properties. This study was aimed to determine soil Aggregate Stability Index (ASI) at tea plantations. Soil samples was taken at a depth of 0-20 cm from five different slopes (0-8% (A), 8-15% (B), 15-25% (C), 25-45% (D), and> 45% (E)) and at two crop ages (10 and 35 years old). The results showed that the soil aggregate stability index at tea plantations ranged from stable to very stable. It tended to decrease by increasing slope percentage at each of crop age, Between the ages, it showed higher ASI at 35 years old crop age under relatively flat (0-8%) and very steep (>45%) areas.

scholarly journals Bacteria are more sensitive to nitrogen fertilizer application in tea plantation soil while fungi are more correlated to tea yield and quality

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheng Tang ◽  
Jingjie Zhou ◽  
Wankun Pan ◽  
Rui Tang ◽  
Qingxu Ma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fungal Diversity ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Partial Least Square ◽  
Fungal Communities ◽  
Soil Microbiome ◽  
Tea Plantation ◽  
Yield And Quality ◽  
Application Rates ◽  
Tea Plantations ◽  
Fertiliser Application

Abstract Aims Soil in tea plantations is characterised by severe acidification and high aluminium and fluorine content. Applying excessive nitrogen (N) is a common strategy in tea plantations. Fungal and bacterial responses to N fertiliser addition in tea plantations, especially their relationship with tea growth, quality, and soil microbiome composition, remain unclear. Methods We performed a field experiment using different N fertiliser application rates for 5 years (2016‒2020) in a tea-producing region of China. Results Application of excessive N (600 kg ha− 1 y− 1) reduced tea yield and quality. High N application rates (360 and 600 kg ha− 1 y− 1) significantly decreased bacterial and fungal diversity and altered the compositions of bacterial and fungal communities (P < 0.05). Fungi were more tolerant than bacteria to soil environmental changes induced by N fertiliser application. Succession of bacterial and fungal communities was mostly driven by pH. Partial least square path modelling suggested that N addition directly influenced the diversity and communities of bacteria and fungi, and indirectly influenced bacterial community and fungal diversity by mediating soil nutrients and pH. The assembly of fungal communities was more regulated by dispersal limitation and deterministic processes than that of bacterial communities. High microbial diversity was not a requirement for tea growth. Conclusions Fungi had a greater impact on tea yield and quality than bacteria; therefore, more attention should be given to fungi, which play a stable role in nutrient cycling and organic matter decomposition in tea plantation, eventually favouring tea growth.

The impact of cover crops on the predatory mite Anystis baccarum (Acari, Anystidae) and the leafhopper pest Empoasca onukii (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae) in a tea plantation

2019 ◽  
Vol 75 (12) ◽  
pp. 3371-3380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li‐Lin Chen ◽  
Pei Yuan ◽  
Gabor Pozsgai ◽  
Ping Chen ◽  
Huaiping Zhu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Predatory Mite ◽  
Tea Plantation ◽  
Anystis Baccarum ◽  
The Impact

Locating 'Coolie' Women's Health in Tea Plantation Environments in Colonial Assam

2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-228
Author(s):  
Namrata Borkotoky
Keyword(s):  
Environmental History ◽  
Tea Plantation ◽  
Female Workers ◽  
Manual Labour ◽  
Tea Plantations ◽  
History Of ◽  
Added Benefit ◽  
Assam Tea ◽  
Biological Reproduction ◽  
Female Presence

The history of Assam tea plantations in India is well-documented, yet a gender sensitive environmental history of these colonially-introduced plantation landscapes is absent. The colonial tea planters saw advantages in a growing female presence in their plantations, in terms of increased male ties to the plantation, lower wages for female workers and the added benefit of biological reproduction that would fulfil the need for manual labour in these plantations for generations. This paper attempts to understand how this plantation structure in general and the work regime in particular relied on a particular type of gender identity, which in turn had a detrimental effect on the health of the women labourers in this new landscape.

Effects of cover crops on spider communities in tea plantations

2011 ◽  
Vol 59 (3) ◽  
pp. 326-335 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li-Lin Chen ◽  
Min-Sheng You ◽  
Shao-Bo Chen
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Tea Plantations ◽  
Spider Communities
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