Peer Review #1 of "Pest control of aphids depends on landscape complexity and natural enemy interactions (v0.1)"

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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Prey of the Green Lynx Spiders (Peucetia Viridana)

Journal of Agriculture and Horticulture Research ◽

10.33140/jahr.03.01.04 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

Keyword(s):

Pest Control ◽

Natural Enemy ◽

Agricultural Fields

Spiders are important constituents of the natural enemy complex of pests in agricultural fields. Spiders are usually ankles that hunt and eat insects. Although they have a variety of foods, Peucetia viridana eat harmful insects. Spiders are important constituents of the natural enemy complex of pests in agricultural fields. However, despite its known importance in agriculture, its contribution to pest control is still largely unnoticed.

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Peer Review #2 of "Lepidopteran HMG-CoA reductase is a potential selective target for pest control (v0.1)"

10.7287/peerj.2881v0.1/reviews/2 ◽

2017 ◽

Keyword(s):

Peer Review ◽

Pest Control ◽

Hmg Coa Reductase ◽

Coa Reductase ◽

Selective Target

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Landscape drivers and effectiveness of pest control by insectivorous birds in a landscape-dominant woody crop

10.1101/2020.03.07.981845 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Carlos Martínez-Núñez ◽

Pedro J. Rey ◽

Antonio J. Manzaneda ◽

Daniel García ◽

Rubén Tarifa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pest Control ◽

Ecosystem Service ◽

Field Experiments ◽

Landscape Heterogeneity ◽

List Type ◽

Insectivorous Birds ◽

Landscape Complexity ◽

Pest Damage ◽

Woody Crop ◽

Plasticine Models

AbstractAvian-mediated pest control is a significant ecosystem service with important economic implications. However, there is an overall paucity of experimental information about how landscape simplification affect its current level. Information on pest control by birds is missing in some permanent agroecosystems of worldwide importance, like olive orchards, that dominate vast areas in the Mediterranean region.We assess the effectiveness of insectivorous birds for controlling the two main pest insects in olive orchards and explore the effects of landscape complexity and distance to semi-natural patches on avian insectivore abundance and pest control. For this, we combine bird surveys with field experiments (branch exclusions and pest plasticine models) at the regional scale.Landscape heterogeneity increased the abundance and richness of insectivorous birds, which were also more abundant and diverse in semi-natural patches, compared to the farm olive matrix. Experiments evidenced that pest control by birds (measured as attack rates to plasticine models and pest damage) in the studied olive orchards is negligible, while pests were overall abundant and pest damage was high on most farms. This raises alarms about the status of avian pest control in this agroecosystem.Although landscape heterogeneity increased the abundance/richness of insectivorous birds, and favored some forest species, insectivorous bird abundance seems diluted in relation to prey availability in all landscapes. Thus, pest control by birds seems currently unsuccessful in olive orchards. Our results might be evidencing the loss of an ecosystem service due to a generalized massive decline of common and forest insectivorous birds.Key messageOlive orchards dominate extensive areas causing important landscape simplification.Insectivorous birds are more abundant in semi-natural patches within olive farms.Field experiments show a low impact of birds on olive pests and damage.Avian-mediated pest biocontrol seems diluted by limited suitable habitat for birds.Agri-environmental measures should focus on increasing landscape complexity.

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