[Effects of crop arrangement patterns on arthropod community structure in transgenic bollworm-resistant cotton...

The study on the arthropod community structures in transgenic bollworm-resistant cotton (cv. Lumianyan 15) fields with different crop arrangement patterns showed that compared with those in mono-cultured cotton plot, there were more species of arthropod community and of phytophagous pest and natural enemy sub-communities as well as more individuals of neutral arthropods in vegetable-, fruit tree-, and peanut-cotton plots. More individuals of phytophagous pests in vegetable- and peanut-cotton plots, and natural enemies in vegetable- and fruit tree-cotton plots were observed. The arthropod community in peanut- and fruit tree-cotton plots had the highest similarity, while that in mono-cultured cotton and vegetable-cotton plots had the lowest one. The Renyi diversity index indicated that compared with mono-cultured cotton plot, vegetable-cotton plot had lower diversities of arthropod community and pest sub-community, while fruit tree- and peanut-cotton plots had higher diversities of arthropod community and natural enemy sub-community, and of arthropod community and pest sub-community diversity, respectively. It was concluded that fruit tree-cotton was a recommendable crop arrangement pattern for transgenic bollworm-resistant cotton.