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.

Cover crops in Victorian apple orchards: Effects on production, natural enemies and pests across a season

2009 ◽  
Vol 28 (8) ◽  
pp. 675-683 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole J. Bone ◽  
Linda J. Thomson ◽  
Peter M. Ridland ◽  
Peter Cole ◽  
Ary A. Hoffmann
Keyword(s):  
Natural Enemies ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Apple Orchards

Natural Enemy Community Composition and Impact on Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) Eggs in Minnesota Apple Orchards

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 324-333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hailey N Shanovich ◽  
Brian H Aukema ◽  
Robert L Koch
Keyword(s):  
Natural Enemies ◽  
Natural Enemy ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Stink Bug ◽  
Apple Orchards ◽  
Sticky Traps ◽  
Predator Abundance ◽  
Polyphagous Insect ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Yellow Sticky Traps

Abstract Halyomorpha halys is an invasive, polyphagous insect that feeds on many major crops, including apple. Statewide monitoring in Minnesota has shown continued increase of H. halys populations and occurrence of this pest in apple orchards. Potential arthropod natural enemies of H. halys and other pests have not been studied in Minnesota apple orchards. The purpose of this study was to characterize the composition of natural enemy communities; compare their abundances, richness and diversities between apple cultivars using different sampling methods; and assess the impact of natural enemies on sentinel eggs of H. halys in Minnesota apple orchards. Sampling occurred during the summers of 2017 and 2018 on Zestar! and Honeycrisp cultivars in four different apple orchards. In vacuum samples, arachnids, neuropterans, and coccinellids had the highest relative abundances. On yellow sticky traps, anthocorids were the most abundant. The total predator abundance differed between the cultivars sampled across years, with more predators found on Zestar! compared with Honeycrisp. No differences were observed in richness or diversity between cultivars with the exception of yellow sticky traps in 2017, which showed a greater diversity of predators in Zestar!. Despite the abundance of natural enemies sampled, sentinel egg masses deployed in the orchards each summer suffered on average <2% predation and no parasitism across years. Knowledge of differences in predator abundance between cultivars could inform management decisions; however, with current management practices, the potential for biological control of H. halys in conventional apple orchards appears low.

scholarly journals Influence of Vineyard Inter-Row Groundcover Vegetation Management on Arthropod Assemblages in the Vineyards of North-Eastern Italy

Insects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 349
Author(s):  
Giulia Zanettin ◽  
Angela Bullo ◽  
Alberto Pozzebon ◽  
Giovanni Burgio ◽  
Carlo Duso
Keyword(s):  
Green Manure ◽  
Habitat Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Beneficial Arthropods ◽  
Parasitic Wasps ◽  
Arthropod Species ◽  
Randomized Block Design ◽  
North Eastern

In this study, the effects of habitat management practices on both pests and beneficial arthropods were evaluated in vineyards of North-eastern Italy through different field experiments: (1) mowing of inter-row spontaneous grasses in conventional and organic vineyards, (2) different timing of mowing of a green manure mixture, and (3) comparing different green manure mixtures. The first experiment followed a split-plot design, while randomized block design was used in the second and third experiment. In each experiment arthropods were sampled using different methods: leaf sampling, beating and sweep net sampling. Non-mowed spontaneous grasses in inter-rows of vineyards favored the abundance of natural enemies (e.g., predatory mites, parasitic wasps and spiders), and sometimes grapevine leafhoppers. Many arthropod species were recorded in higher numbers in organic vineyards. Late mowing of green manure favored beneficial arthropods (e.g., spiders and parasitic wasps), while it did not influence herbivore density. Groundcover management practices, aimed at increasing plant biodiversity in vineyards, could be a useful tool to enhance beneficial arthropod abundance, although the adoption of this practice should be carefully evaluated when pests occur. Semi-natural areas can contribute to create a more pest-stable agro-ecosystem and should be integrated with appropriate ecological infrastructures surrounding vineyards.

scholarly journals Using flower strips to promote green lacewings to control cabbage insect pests

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael Alcalá Herrera ◽  
Belén Cotes ◽  
Nuria Agustí ◽  
Marco Tasin ◽  
Mario Porcel
Keyword(s):  
Natural Enemies ◽  
Habitat Management ◽  
Insect Pests ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Choice Test ◽  
Beneficial Arthropods ◽  
Borago Officinalis ◽  
Green Lacewings ◽  
Cabbage Pests ◽  
The Impact

AbstractHabitat management improves biological control by increasing the abundance and fitness of natural enemies through the provision of floral resources along field edges or between crops. Among the natural enemies reliant on flower resources, green lacewings often stand out due to their abundance, predation capacity and polyphagy. We evaluated the impact of tailored flower strips on the enhancement of natural enemies, especially green lacewings, in three organic cabbage (Brassica oleracea) farms in Southern Sweden. Insects were sampled from the flower strips, and cabbage pests and predators were visually recorded in the crop. In a laboratory assay, the pollen feeding preferences of Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens, 1836) were evaluated in a dual-choice test. The pollen consumed by the Chrysopidae was extracted from laboratory and field specimens, then quantified and identified. Flower strips were found to attract predators and parasitoids, whose abundance increased as flowers bloomed. Cabbage plants next to the flower strips showed lower pest infestation as compared to cabbage plant control, although no significant differences were observed in the number of predators. Chrysopidae used flower strips as feeding, reproduction and shelter sites and mainly consumed pollen from Phacelia tanacetifolia Benth. Under laboratory conditions, C. carnea showed a preference for P. tanacetifolia and Coriandrum sativum L. pollen over Borago officinalis L. and Fagopyrum esculentum Moench. We show that tailored flower strips could be an efficient tool for enhancing beneficial arthropods and should be considered in integrated pest management for cabbage crops.

scholarly journals Managing Floral Resources in Apple Orchards for Pest Control: Ideas, Experiences and Future Directions

Insects ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annette Herz ◽  
Fabian Cahenzli ◽  
Servane Penvern ◽  
Lukas Pfiffner ◽  
Marco Tasin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pest Control ◽  
Natural Enemies ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Apple Orchards ◽  
Functional Biodiversity ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Mowing Regime

Functional biodiversity is of fundamental importance for pest control. Many natural enemies rely on floral resources to complete their life cycle. Farmers need to ensure the availability of suitable and sufficient floral biodiversity. This review summarizes 66 studies on the management of floral biodiversity in apple orchards, published since 1986. Approaches followed different degrees of intervention: short-term practices (mowing regime and weed maintenance, cover crops), establishment of durable ecological infrastructures (perennial flower strips, hedgerows) and re-design of the crop system (intercropping, agroforestry). Although short-term practices did not always target the nutrition of natural enemies by flowering plants, living conditions for them (alternative prey, provision of habitat) were often improved. Perennial flower strips reliably enhanced natural enemies and techniques for their introduction continuously developed. Resident natural enemies and their impact in pest control reacted positively to the introduction of a more diversified vegetation, whereas the response of very mobile organisms was often not directly linked to the measures taken. A careful selection and management of plants with particular traits exploitable by most natural enemies emerged as a key-point for success. Now the elaborated design of such measures needs to be adopted by stakeholders and policy makers to encourage farmers to implement these measures in their orchards.

scholarly journals Clipping Forage Sorghum Twice and Nitrogen Topdressing Offer an Option for Dual-Purpose Use for Cover Cropping and Fodder in Mixed Crop/Livestock Farming Systems

Agronomy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kudzayi Janhi ◽  
Zimkhitha Matshaya ◽  
Cornelius Chiduza ◽  
Lindah Muzangwa
Keyword(s):  
Sorghum Bicolor ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Root Biomass ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Soil Cover ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Neutral Detergent Fiber ◽  
Dual Purpose ◽  
Forage Sorghum

Management practices that promote dual-purpose use of cover crops as forage and soil cover can encourage adoption in mixed smallholder (SH) farming systems. This study investigated the feasibility of dual-purpose use of forage sorghum (Sorghum bicolor x Sorghum bicolor var. sudanense) by testing the effects of clipping frequency and nitrogen (N) topdressing on the root biomass, crude protein (CP), acid detergent (ADF), and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) in the greenhouse and vegetative biomass on the experimental farm station. Four levels of clipping were tested: not clipped (C1), clipped once (C2), twice (C3), and thrice (C4). Nitrogen topdressing had two levels: with (N1) and without (N0) recommended supplementary N. Results show that absence of N topdressing significantly (p < 0.05) increased root biomass in C2, while increasing clipping frequency significantly (p < 0.001) decreased root biomass. During the growing period, N topdressing significantly (p < 0.001) increased CP content in C3 and C4 and NDF (p < 0.01) content in C4. At the termination stage, there was a significant interaction between clipping frequency and N topdressing on the biomass yield obtained in both 2016–2017 (p < 0.05) and 2017–2018 (p < 0.001), respectively. Clipping twice and N topdressing emerged as the best management practice for the dual-purpose of soil cover and livestock feed.

The Influence of Spray Programs on the Fauna of Apple Orchards in Nova Scotia. VII. Effects on Some Beneficial Arthropods

1954 ◽  
Vol 86 (3) ◽  
pp. 128-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. W. MacPhee ◽  
K. H. Sanford
Keyword(s):  
Nova Scotia ◽  
Natural Enemies ◽  
Apple Orchards ◽  
Beneficial Arthropods ◽  
Population Densities ◽  
Apple Trees ◽  
Arthropod Pests

The toxicities of a large number of spray chemicals to arthropod pests are well known. In most instances, observations on the effects of such materials on natural enemies have beeen incidental to other studies, and little has been published on experiments designed to determine the direct toxicities of the chemicals to beneficial species. The effects of spray chemicals on the predators and parasites of the major pests of apple trees in Nova Scotia have been investigated as part of a broader project on the factors that influence population densities of orchard arthropods, as outlined by Pickett et al. (31).

scholarly journals Long-term effects of soil management practices on selected indicators of chemical soil quality

2016 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alicja Pecio ◽  
Zuzanna Jarosz
Keyword(s):  
Quality Indicators ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Climate Change Mitigation ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Farmyard Manure ◽  
Chemical Quality ◽  
Mineral Fertilization ◽  
Change Mitigation

The study was conducted in scope of Catch-C project “Compatibility of agricultural management practices and types of farming in the EU to enhance climate change mitigation and soil health” (7FP), realized in 2012–2014 by the consortium of partners from 10 European countries (<span>http://www.catch-c.eu</span>). This work reports the effects of soil management practices – under different soil and climatic conditions – on the selected soil chemical quality indicators, based on the analysis of data extracted from literature on long term experiments (LTEs) in Europe, as well as from LTEs held by the Catch-C consortium partners. The dataset related to soil chemical quality indicators consisted of 1044 records and referred to 59 long-term trials. The following indicators of chemical soil quality were analyzed: pH, N total content, N total stock, C:N ratio, N mineral content, P and K availability. They are the most frequently used indicators in the European literature on long-term experiments collected in the Catch-C project database. Soil organic carbon, however, the most important indicator was not presented here, due to it was covered by a separate study on indicators for climate change mitigation. The indicators were analyzed using their response ratio (RR) to a management practice. For a given treatment (management practice), this ratio was calculated as the quotient between the indicator value obtained in the treatment, and the indicator value in the reference treatment. The examples were: rotation (with cereals, with legume crops, with tuber or root crops, with grassland) vs. adequate monoculture, catch/cover crops vs. no catch/cover crops, no-tillage and no-inversion tillage vs. conventional tillage, mineral fertilization vs. no fertilization, organic fertilization (compost, farmyard manure, slurry) vs. mineral fertilization at the same available nitrogen input, crop residue incorporation vs. removal. All tested practices influenced soil chemical quality indicators. Both positive and negative effects were observed. When the RR values of seven soil chemical quality indicators were considered in an overall evaluation – based on their significance level, the number of indicators positively affected, and the size of the effects – the best practices among those tested were: farmyard manure application, no-inversion tillage, compost application, mineral fertilization, and no-tillage.

scholarly journals The Contribution of Surrounding Margins in the Promotion of Natural Enemies in Mediterranean Apple Orchards

Insects ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 148
Author(s):  
Neus Rodríguez-Gasol ◽  
Jesús Avilla ◽  
Yahana Aparicio ◽  
Judit Arnó ◽  
Rosa Gabarra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Enemies ◽  
Habitat Management ◽  
Apple Tree ◽  
Sinapis Alba ◽  
Apple Orchards ◽  
Eriosoma Lanigerum ◽  
Alternative Approach ◽  
Moricandia Arvensis ◽  
Dysaphis Plantaginea ◽  
Lobularia Maritima

(1) Habitat management can enhance beneficial arthropod populations and provide ecosystem services such as biological control. However, the implementation of ecological infrastructures inside orchards has a number of practical limitations. Therefore, planting/growing insectary plants in the margins of orchards should be considered as an alternative approach. (2) Here, we assessed the efficacy of a flower margin composed by four insectary plant species (Achillea millefolium, Lobularia maritima, Moricandia arvensis and Sinapis alba), which was placed on an edge of four Mediterranean apple orchards to attract natural enemies of two apple tree aphids (Dysaphis plantaginea and Eriosoma lanigerum). We also characterized the natural enemies present in the aphid colonies. (3) Our results show that the implementation of a flower margin at the edge of apple orchards attracts predators (Syrphidae, Thysanoptera, Araneae, Heteroptera, Coleoptera) and parasitoids. Parasitoids are the main natural enemies present in aphid colonies in our area. (4) The implementation of the flower margins successfully recruited natural enemy populations, and the presence of parasitoids in the surroundings of the orchards increased the parasitism of D. plantaginea colonies.

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