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How plant composition in margins influences the assemblage of pests and predators and its effect on biocontrol in melon fields.
Sanchez, Juan Antonio; de Pedro, Luis; López-Gallego, Elena; Pérez-Marcos, María; Ramírez-Soria, María José; Perera-Fernández, Luis Gabriel; Atenza, Joaquín F.
Affiliation
  • Sanchez JA; Biological Control and Ecosystem Services Laboratory, Instituto Murciano de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario y Medioambiental, C/Mayor S/N, 30150, La Alberca, Murcia, Spain. juana.sanchez23@carm.es.
  • de Pedro L; Biological Control and Ecosystem Services Laboratory, Instituto Murciano de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario y Medioambiental, C/Mayor S/N, 30150, La Alberca, Murcia, Spain.
  • López-Gallego E; Biological Control and Ecosystem Services Laboratory, Instituto Murciano de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario y Medioambiental, C/Mayor S/N, 30150, La Alberca, Murcia, Spain.
  • Pérez-Marcos M; Biological Control and Ecosystem Services Laboratory, Instituto Murciano de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario y Medioambiental, C/Mayor S/N, 30150, La Alberca, Murcia, Spain.
  • Ramírez-Soria MJ; Biological Control and Ecosystem Services Laboratory, Instituto Murciano de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario y Medioambiental, C/Mayor S/N, 30150, La Alberca, Murcia, Spain.
  • Perera-Fernández LG; Biological Control and Ecosystem Services Laboratory, Instituto Murciano de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario y Medioambiental, C/Mayor S/N, 30150, La Alberca, Murcia, Spain.
  • Atenza JF; GIS and Remote Sensing, Instituto Murciano de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario y Medioambiental, C/Mayor S/N, 30150, La Alberca, Murcia, Spain.
Sci Rep ; 14(1): 13094, 2024 06 07.
Article in En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38849533
ABSTRACT
Many agricultural landscapes offer few resources for maintaining natural enemy populations and floral plantings have frequently been adopted to enhance biological pest control in crops. However, restored margins may harbour both pests and natural enemies. The aim was to compare the abundance of pests and natural enemies in three types of margins (unmanaged, sown herbaceous floral strips and shrubby hedgerows) as well as in adjacent melon fields. Besides, yield was compared among melon fields as way of testing the effect of the type of margin on biocontrol. The research was carried out during 2 years in twelve melon fields from four different locations in southern Spain. Arthropods were sampled periodically in margins and melon fields by visual inspections and Berlese extraction. Hedgerow and floral strips hosted higher numbers of both pests and predators than unmanaged margins. Besides, hedgerows had a similar or higher number of natural enemies than floral strips but lower number of pests. In just a few occasions, the type of margin had a significant effect on the abundance of pests and natural enemies in melon fields, but rarely there was consistency between the two growing seasons. No differences were found in yield. We hypothesised that the lack of association in the abundances of pests and natural enemies between margins and melon fields could be attributed to the overriding effects of the landscape and/or the internal population dynamics of arthropods in melon fields. Overall, shrubby hedgerows are more recommended than herbaceous floral strips.
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Full text: 1 Collection: 01-internacional Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Pest Control, Biological / Cucurbitaceae Limits: Animals Country/Region as subject: Europa Language: En Journal: Sci Rep Year: 2024 Document type: Article Affiliation country:

Full text: 1 Collection: 01-internacional Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Pest Control, Biological / Cucurbitaceae Limits: Animals Country/Region as subject: Europa Language: En Journal: Sci Rep Year: 2024 Document type: Article Affiliation country: