Interaction Effects of Farm-Scale Management of Natural Enemy Resources and the Surrounding Seminatural Habitat on Insect Biological Control
Agricultural land use and its disruption of natural landscapes threaten the provision of ecosystem services, such as biological control by natural enemies, because of habitat simplification and management intensification. However, most studies that evaluate the effect of local management practices r...
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MDPI AG
2025-03-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/16/3/286 |
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| author | Blas Lavandero Enrique Maldonado-Santos Estefania Muñoz-Quilodran Mauricio González-Chang Francisca Zepeda-Paulo Ángel Salazar-Rojas Cinthya Villegas |
| author_facet | Blas Lavandero Enrique Maldonado-Santos Estefania Muñoz-Quilodran Mauricio González-Chang Francisca Zepeda-Paulo Ángel Salazar-Rojas Cinthya Villegas |
| author_sort | Blas Lavandero |
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| description | Agricultural land use and its disruption of natural landscapes threaten the provision of ecosystem services, such as biological control by natural enemies, because of habitat simplification and management intensification. However, most studies that evaluate the effect of local management practices rarely identify and include other important predictors such as landscape compositional values. We studied the effect of adding flower strips at farms on the control of aphids in a seminatural habitat (SNH) gradient. We found significantly less aphids on farms with flower strips and more SNH at the second sampling date as well as a greater proportion of mummies with flowers early in the season, with a greater proportion of mummies at a greater %SNH at the end of the season. Foraging predators responded to the %SNH of farms without flowers only on the second sampling date, which coincided with their highest mean abundances. Our data suggests that aphid parasitism was enhanced by flowers, having a potential effect early in the season, which ultimately explained the reduction in aphid numbers thereafter. On the other hand, the effects perceived on predator abundances seemed to be more date- and landscape-sensitive. Flower strips of faba beans and buckwheat in the field as well as the %SNH surrounding farms positively affected <i>Diaeretiella rapae</i> and could therefore be an important management strategy to decrease <i>Brevicoryne brassicae</i> densities in brassica crops. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a1c50a1363774194b50fd8a4833e5f69 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2075-4450 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
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| series | Insects |
| spelling | doaj-art-a1c50a1363774194b50fd8a4833e5f692025-08-20T02:42:34ZengMDPI AGInsects2075-44502025-03-0116328610.3390/insects16030286Interaction Effects of Farm-Scale Management of Natural Enemy Resources and the Surrounding Seminatural Habitat on Insect Biological ControlBlas Lavandero0Enrique Maldonado-Santos1Estefania Muñoz-Quilodran2Mauricio González-Chang3Francisca Zepeda-Paulo4Ángel Salazar-Rojas5Cinthya Villegas6Laboratorio de Control Biológico, Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Talca, 2 Norte 685, Talca 3460000, ChileLaboratorio de Control Biológico, Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Talca, 2 Norte 685, Talca 3460000, ChileLaboratorio de Control Biológico, Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Talca, 2 Norte 685, Talca 3460000, ChileInstituto de Producción y Sanidad Vegetal, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Alimentarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia 5091000, ChileLaboratorio de Control Biológico, Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Talca, 2 Norte 685, Talca 3460000, ChileFacultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca 3340000, ChileLaboratorio de Control Biológico, Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Talca, 2 Norte 685, Talca 3460000, ChileAgricultural land use and its disruption of natural landscapes threaten the provision of ecosystem services, such as biological control by natural enemies, because of habitat simplification and management intensification. However, most studies that evaluate the effect of local management practices rarely identify and include other important predictors such as landscape compositional values. We studied the effect of adding flower strips at farms on the control of aphids in a seminatural habitat (SNH) gradient. We found significantly less aphids on farms with flower strips and more SNH at the second sampling date as well as a greater proportion of mummies with flowers early in the season, with a greater proportion of mummies at a greater %SNH at the end of the season. Foraging predators responded to the %SNH of farms without flowers only on the second sampling date, which coincided with their highest mean abundances. Our data suggests that aphid parasitism was enhanced by flowers, having a potential effect early in the season, which ultimately explained the reduction in aphid numbers thereafter. On the other hand, the effects perceived on predator abundances seemed to be more date- and landscape-sensitive. Flower strips of faba beans and buckwheat in the field as well as the %SNH surrounding farms positively affected <i>Diaeretiella rapae</i> and could therefore be an important management strategy to decrease <i>Brevicoryne brassicae</i> densities in brassica crops.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/16/3/286<i>Diaeretiella rapae</i><i>Brevicoryne brassicae</i>seminatural habitatsflower stripsnectar provision |
| spellingShingle | Blas Lavandero Enrique Maldonado-Santos Estefania Muñoz-Quilodran Mauricio González-Chang Francisca Zepeda-Paulo Ángel Salazar-Rojas Cinthya Villegas Interaction Effects of Farm-Scale Management of Natural Enemy Resources and the Surrounding Seminatural Habitat on Insect Biological Control Insects <i>Diaeretiella rapae</i> <i>Brevicoryne brassicae</i> seminatural habitats flower strips nectar provision |
| title | Interaction Effects of Farm-Scale Management of Natural Enemy Resources and the Surrounding Seminatural Habitat on Insect Biological Control |
| title_full | Interaction Effects of Farm-Scale Management of Natural Enemy Resources and the Surrounding Seminatural Habitat on Insect Biological Control |
| title_fullStr | Interaction Effects of Farm-Scale Management of Natural Enemy Resources and the Surrounding Seminatural Habitat on Insect Biological Control |
| title_full_unstemmed | Interaction Effects of Farm-Scale Management of Natural Enemy Resources and the Surrounding Seminatural Habitat on Insect Biological Control |
| title_short | Interaction Effects of Farm-Scale Management of Natural Enemy Resources and the Surrounding Seminatural Habitat on Insect Biological Control |
| title_sort | interaction effects of farm scale management of natural enemy resources and the surrounding seminatural habitat on insect biological control |
| topic | <i>Diaeretiella rapae</i> <i>Brevicoryne brassicae</i> seminatural habitats flower strips nectar provision |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/16/3/286 |
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