Ground Cover Vegetation Promotes Ecological Intensification of Pear Production

Abstract The use of ground cover vegetation is becoming a prominent intervention for promoting biodiversity and associated ecosystem services in Chinese orchards. Despite the large number of studies that have examined the effects of ground cover vegetation on promoting natural enemy populations and related natural pest control, it is less understood whether enhanced natural pest control translates to increase yield and reduced pesticide use. We conducted a 2-year experiment comparing three cover vegetation (ryegrass, clover, and hairy vetch) practices versus a bare ground control in commercial pear orchards in the Yangtze River Delta of East China (YRDEC), China. Natural enemy density (predator and parasitoid abundance), invertebrate herbivore performance (piercing-sucking herbivore abundance and branch-boring and fruit-boring percentage), pesticide input and pear fruit yield were recorded. The results indicated that cover vegetation decreased herbivore abundance and boring percentage by 49.95 and 63.6% respectively, and thus decreased pesticide use by 26.10%. Meanwhile, we found that cover vegetation increased the abundance of natural enemies by 620.75%, and increased pear fruit yield by 6.82%. Piecewise structural equation modelling indicated that increased natural enemy densities, decreased herbivore performance and pesticide use, while increasing fruit yield. Our results confirm that the use of ground cover vegetations (especially with clover and hairy vetch) can promote ecological intensification and biological pest control in pear orchards.

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Diverging Effects of Landscape Factors and Inter-Row Management on the Abundance of Beneficial and Herbivorous Arthropods in Andalusian Vineyards (Spain)

Insects ◽

10.3390/insects10100320 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. 320

Author(s):

Judt ◽

Guzmán ◽

Gómez ◽

Cabezas ◽

Entrenas ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pest Control ◽

Synergistic Effects ◽

Ground Cover ◽

Bare Soil ◽

Beneficial Arthropods ◽

Likelihood Methods ◽

Landscape Elements ◽

Surrounding Landscape ◽

Natural Pest Control ◽

Agricultural Areas

Land use at landscape and field scales can increase the diversity and abundance of natural enemies for pest control. In this study, we investigated interactions between landscape elements (semi-natural vegetation, olive orchards, vineyards, other agricultural areas) and inter-row management (vegetation cover vs. bare soil) in relation to arthropod populations in Andalusian vineyards. Arthropods were collected from grapevine foliage in 15 vineyards using suction sampling. Landscape structure was analyzed within a 750 m radius surrounding the studied vineyards. Arthropods were categorized into functional groups (predators, parasitoids, herbivores), and their responses to the most influencing factors were analyzed by likelihood methods and model selection. Of the total of 650 arthropods collected, 48% were predators, 33% herbivores and 19% parasitoids. Numbers of predatory aeolothrips, parasitoids and herbivorous cicadas in the study vineyards decreased with an increased proportion of vineyards in the surroundings. Spider populations in vineyards increased with increasing proportions of other agricultural fields (non-flowering crops) in the surroundings. Semi-natural elements and olive orchards had no influence on the abundance of collected arthropods. We observed synergistic effects between landscape elements and inter-row management. The total numbers of arthropods, herbivores and parasitoids in vineyards benefitted from inter-row vegetation, while spiders benefitted from bare soil. Our findings underline the importance of both surrounding landscape elements and vineyard ground cover management to promote beneficial arthropods for potential natural pest control.

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Investigating the (Mis)Match between Natural Pest Control Knowledge and the Intensity of Pesticide Use

Insects ◽

10.3390/insects9010002 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 2 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

David Mall ◽

Ashley Larsen ◽

Emily Martin

Keyword(s):

Pest Control ◽

Pesticide Use ◽

Control Knowledge ◽

Natural Pest Control

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Ground-cover vegetation in wetland forests of the lower Suwannee River floodplain, Florida, and potential impacts of flow reductions

10.3133/wri024027 ◽

2002 ◽

Keyword(s):

Ground Cover ◽

River Floodplain ◽

Suwannee River ◽

Wetland Forests ◽

Ground Cover Vegetation

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Prey removal in cotton crops next to woodland reveals periodic diurnal and nocturnal invertebrate predation gradients from the crop edge by birds and bats

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-84633-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Heidi L. Kolkert ◽

Rhiannon Smith ◽

Romina Rader ◽

Nick Reid

Keyword(s):

Pest Control ◽

Open Space ◽

Optimal Foraging Theory ◽

Time Of Day ◽

Camera Traps ◽

Generalist Predators ◽

Crop Cover ◽

Foraging Preferences ◽

Experimental Feeding ◽

Natural Pest Control

AbstractFactors influencing the efficacy of insectivorous vertebrates in providing natural pest control services inside crops at increasing distances from the crop edge are poorly understood. We investigated the identity of vertebrate predators (birds and bats) and removal of sentinel prey (mealworms and beetles) from experimental feeding trays in cotton crops using prey removal trials, camera traps and observations. More prey was removed during the day than at night, but prey removal was variable at the crop edge and dependent on the month (reflecting crop growth and cover) and time of day. Overall, the predation of mealworms and beetles was 1-times and 13-times greater during the day than night, respectively, with predation on mealworms 3–5 times greater during the day than night at the crop edge compared to 95 m inside the crop. Camera traps identified many insectivorous birds and bats over crops near the feeding trays, but there was no evidence of bats or small passerines removing experimental prey. A predation gradient from the crop edge was evident, but only in some months. This corresponded to the foraging preferences of open-space generalist predators (magpies) in low crop cover versus the shrubby habitat preferred by small passerines, likely facilitating foraging away from the crop edge later in the season. Our results are in line with Optimal Foraging Theory and suggest that predators trade-off foraging behaviour with predation risk at different distances from the crop edge and levels of crop cover. Understanding the optimal farm configuration to support insectivorous bird and bat populations can assist farmers to make informed decisions regarding in-crop natural pest control and maximise the predation services provided by farm biodiversity.

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Organic Farming and Cover-Crop Management Reduce Pest Predation in Austrian Vineyards

Insects ◽

10.3390/insects12030220 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (3) ◽

pp. 220

Author(s):

Jo Marie Reiff ◽

Sebastian Kolb ◽

Martin H. Entling ◽

Thomas Herndl ◽

Stefan Möth ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Organic Farming ◽

Pest Control ◽

Cover Crops ◽

Cover Crop ◽

Management Practices ◽

Integrated Management ◽

Lobesia Botrana ◽

Management Options ◽

Natural Pest Control ◽

Predation Rates

Habitat simplification and intensive use of pesticides are main drivers of global arthropod declines and are, thus, decreasing natural pest control. Organic farming, complex landscapes, and local vineyard management practices such as implementation of flower-rich cover-crop mixtures may be a promising approach to enhance predator abundance and, therefore, natural pest control. We examined the effect of organic versus integrated management, cover-crop diversity in the vineyard inter-rows, and landscape composition on the natural pest control of Lobesia botrana eggs and pupae. Predation of L. botrana pupae was reduced by organic farming and species-poor cover-crops by about 10%. Predation rates of L. botrana eggs did not differ significantly in any of the studied management options. Dominant predators were earwigs (Forficulidae), bush crickets (Tettigoniidae), and ants (Formicidae). Negative effects of organic viticulture are most likely related to the negative nontarget effects on arthropods related to the frequent sulfur and copper applications in combination with the avoidance of strongly damaging insecticides by integrated winegrowers. While a 10% difference in predation rates on a single pest stage is unlikely to have strong practical implications, our results show that the assumed effectiveness of environmentally friendly agriculture needs to be evaluated for specific crops and regions.

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Intercropping Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) with Sweet Pepper (Capsicum annum) Reduces Major Pest Population Densities without Impacting Natural Enemy Populations

Insects ◽

10.3390/insects12010074 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 74

Author(s):

Xiao-wei Li ◽

Xin-xin Lu ◽

Zhi-jun Zhang ◽

Jun Huang ◽

Jin-ming Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Integrated Pest Management ◽

Pest Management ◽

Pest Control ◽

Natural Enemies ◽

Natural Enemy ◽

Sweet Pepper ◽

Population Densities ◽

Pest Population ◽

Major Pest ◽

Population Suppression

Intercropping of aromatic plants provides an environmentally benign route to reducing pest damage in agroecosystems. However, the effect of intercropping on natural enemies, another element which may be vital to the success of an integrated pest management approach, varies in different intercropping systems. Rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis L. (Lamiaceae), has been reported to be repellent to many insect species. In this study, the impact of sweet pepper/rosemary intercropping on pest population suppression was evaluated under greenhouse conditions and the effect of rosemary intercropping on natural enemy population dynamics was investigated. The results showed that intercropping rosemary with sweet pepper significantly reduced the population densities of three major pest species on sweet pepper, Frankliniella intonsa, Myzus persicae, and Bemisia tabaci, but did not affect the population densities of their natural enemies, the predatory bug, Orius sauteri, or parasitoid, Encarsia formosa. Significant pest population suppression with no adverse effect on released natural enemy populations in the sweet pepper/rosemary intercropping system suggests this could be an approach for integrated pest management of greenhouse-cultivated sweet pepper. Our results highlight the potential of the integration of alternative pest control strategies to optimize sustainable pest control.

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Unexpected Effects of Local Management and Landscape Composition on Predatory Mites and Their Food Resources in Vineyards

Insects ◽

10.3390/insects12020180 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 180

Author(s):

Stefan Möth ◽

Andreas Walzer ◽

Markus Redl ◽

Božana Petrović ◽

Christoph Hoffmann ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pest Control ◽

Predatory Mites ◽

Mite Species ◽

Landscape Composition ◽

Pesticide Use ◽

Biological Pest Control ◽

Phytophagous Mites ◽

Spontaneous Vegetation ◽

Important Food Source ◽

Eriophyoid Mite

Viticultural practices and landscape composition are the main drivers influencing biological pest control in vineyards. Predatory mites, mainly phytoseiid (Phytoseiidae) and tydeoid mites (Tydeidae), are important to control phytophagous mites (Tetranychidae and Eriophyidae) on vines. In the absence of arthropod prey, pollen is an important food source for predatory mites. In 32 paired vineyards located in Burgenland/Austria, we examined the effect of landscape composition, management type (organic/integrated), pesticide use, and cover crop diversity of the inter-row on the densities of phytoseiid, tydeoid, and phytophagous mites. In addition, we sampled pollen on vine leaves. Typhlodromus pyri Scheuten was the main phytoseiid mite species and Tydeus goetzi Schruft the main tydeoid species. Interestingly, the area-related acute pesticide toxicity loading was higher in organic than in integrated vineyards. The densities of phytoseiid and tydeoid mites was higher in integrated vineyards and in vineyards with spontaneous vegetation. Their population also profited from an increased viticultural area at the landscape scale. Eriophyoid mite densities were extremely low across all vineyards and spider mites were absent. Biological pest control of phytophagous mites benefits from less intensive pesticide use and spontaneous vegetation cover in vineyard inter-rows, which should be considered in agri-environmental schemes.

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