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Published on: February 11, 2020
Refuges, flower strips, biodiversity and agronomic interest
Grégory Roy1, Karine Wateau, Mickaël Legrand
1FREDON Nord Pas-de-Calais, 265 rue Becquerel, BP 74, FR-62750 Loos-en-Gohelle, France. gregory.roy@fredon-npdc.com
Communications in Agricultural and Applied Biological Sciences
|February 21, 2009
Summary
Enhancing ecological infrastructures like flower strips and refuges supports beneficial arthropods, natural pest predators. This boosts their populations and activity, leading to more effective pest control in agricultural areas.
Area of Science:
- Agricultural Entomology
- Ecology
- Integrated Pest Management
Background:
- Arthropods serve as natural predators, controlling pest populations in agricultural and orchard settings.
- Beneficial arthropod populations can be insufficient or active too late for effective pest regulation.
- Ecological infrastructures like flower strips and refuges can enhance beneficial arthropod efficacy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the impact of ecological infrastructures on beneficial arthropod populations and pest control.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of flower strips and refuges in enhancing natural enemy density and activity.
- To determine optimal strategies for implementing these enhancements in agricultural systems.
Main Methods:
- Research program by FREDON Nord Pas-de-Calais (Federation Regionate de Defense contre les Organismes Nuisibles) from 2004-2007.
- Inventory of practices, tools, and means for using beneficial refuges in orchards.
- Study of flower strip influence on beneficial populations and aphid control in cabbage fields since 2003.
Main Results:
- Flower strips significantly reduced aphid populations by up to 50% in cabbage fields.
- Syphids were identified as key aphid predators in French agricultural systems.
- The diversity and plant families used in flower strips critically influence their effectiveness.
Conclusions:
- Flower strips and refuges are valuable tools for augmenting natural pest control.
- Strategic selection of plant diversity in flower strips is crucial for maximizing benefits and avoiding pest attraction.
- Enhancing ecological infrastructures offers a sustainable approach to integrated pest management.
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