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

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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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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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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Network data acquisition method based on crop pest control knowledge

10.1145/3469213.3470368 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Han Chunyu ◽

Fang Jiandong ◽

Li Bajin ◽

Zhao Yudong

Keyword(s):

Data Acquisition ◽

Pest Control ◽

Network Data ◽

Crop Pest ◽

Control Knowledge ◽

Acquisition Method

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Economic valuation of natural pest control of the summer grain aphid in wheat in South East England

Ecosystem Services ◽

10.1016/j.ecoser.2018.02.019 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 30 ◽

pp. 149-157 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Han Zhang ◽

Michael P.D. Garratt ◽

Alison Bailey ◽

Simon G. Potts ◽

Tom Breeze

Keyword(s):

Pest Control ◽

Economic Valuation ◽

Grain Aphid ◽

South East England ◽

Natural Pest Control

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Monitoring and Adapting to the Changes in Pesticide Use Profiles That Occur in Response to Modern Pest Control and Environmental Requirements

Pesticides ◽

10.1533/9781845693183.1 ◽

1995 ◽

pp. 1-7

Author(s):

Michael F. Wilson

Keyword(s):

Pest Control ◽

Pesticide Use ◽

Environmental Requirements

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Effects of Temporal Crop β Diversification of a Cereal-Based Cropping System on Generalist Predators and Their Biocontrol Potential

Frontiers in Agronomy ◽

10.3389/fagro.2021.704979 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 3 ◽

Author(s):

Giovanni Antonio Puliga ◽

Jan Thiele ◽

Hauke Ahnemann ◽

Jens Dauber

Keyword(s):

Crop Rotation ◽

Pest Control ◽

Cover Crops ◽

Cropping Systems ◽

Cropping System ◽

Generalist Predators ◽

Activity Density ◽

Biocontrol Potential ◽

Natural Pest Control ◽

Predation Rates

In agroecosystems, crop diversification plays a fundamental role in maintaining and regenerating biodiversity and ecosystem services, such as natural pest control. Temporal diversification of cropping systems can affect the presence and activity of natural enemies by providing alternative hosts and prey, food, and refuges for overwintering. However, we still lack studies on the effects of temporal diversification on generalist predators and their biocontrol potential conducted at field scale in commercial agricultural settings. Here, we measured proxies of ecosystem functions related with biological pest control in 29 commercial agricultural fields characterized by cereal-based cropping system in Lower-Saxony, northern Germany. The fields differed in the number of crops and cover crops cultivated during the previous 12 years. Using the Rapid Ecosystem Function Assessment approach, we measured invertebrate predation, seed predation and activity density of generalist predators. We aimed at testing whether the differences in the crop rotations from the previous years would affect activity of predators and their predation rates in the current growing season. We found that the length of the crop rotation had neutral effects on the proxies measured. Furthermore, predation rates were generally lower if the rotation comprised a higher number of cover crops compared to rotation with less cover crops. The activity density of respective taxa of predatory arthropods responded differently to the number of cover crops in the crop rotation. Our results suggest that temporal crop diversity may not benefit the activity and efficiency of generalist predators when diversification strategies involve crops of very similar functional traits. Adding different resources and traits to the agroecosystems through a wider range of cultivated crops and the integration of semi-natural habitats are aspects that need to be considered when developing more diverse cropping systems aiming to provide a more efficient natural pest control.

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Examination of Acephate Absorption, Transport, Metabolism, and Accumulation in Maize After Root Irrigation for Spodoptera Frugiperda Control

10.21203/rs.3.rs-407085/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

jiyingzi Wu ◽

xianjia Li ◽

ruiquan Hou ◽

kunyu Zhao ◽

yongqin Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pest Control ◽

Spodoptera Frugiperda ◽

Control Method ◽

Control Measure ◽

Fall Armyworm ◽

Extended Period ◽

Field Trials ◽

Pesticide Use ◽

Control Efficacy ◽

Maize Plants

Abstract BACKGROUND: Since the invasion of the fall armyworm moth (Spodoptera frugiperda) in China in January 2019, damage to maize crops has gradually intensified, and chemical control has become the main control measure. This study aimed to examine methods of effective pest control while monitoring the environmental impact of pesticide use. The effectiveness of S. frugiperda pest control by foliar spraying and root irrigation of maize plants with acephate was determined, and the absorption, distribution, and dissipation of acephate and methamidophos by maize were studied.RESULTS: Field trials showed that acephate treatment at 6000 g.a.i ha-1 was the most effective for controlling S. frugiperda. Acephate and methamidophos were absorbed from the roots, transported upward, and concentrated in the leaves, particularly new leaves. The terminal residues of acephate and methamidophos in maize grains were below detectable levels at 60 days after treatment.CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrate that acephate treatment via root irrigation can more effectively control the infestation of S. frugiperda in maize than acephate treatment via foliar spraying. The translocation and distribution of acephate and methamidophos by root irrigation were more uniform, and the holding efficiency was higher than those in foliar spraying, suggesting an extended period of control efficacy. This pest control method could be utilized to reduce pesticide residues while safely and efficiently controlling S. frugiperda infestation.

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From the Farmers’ Perspective: Pesticide Use and Pest Control

Integrated Pest Management ◽

10.1007/978-94-007-7796-5_17 ◽

2014 ◽

pp. 409-432 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Seyyed Mahmoud Hashemi ◽

Rajinder Peshin ◽

Giuseppe Feola

Keyword(s):

Pest Control ◽

Pesticide Use

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