A high-diversity/IPM cropping system fosters beneficial arthropod populations, limits invertebrate pests, and produces competitive maize yields

Busch, Anna K.; Douglas, Margaret R.; Malcolm, Glenna M.; Karsten, Heather D.; Tooker, John F.

doi:10.1016/j.agee.2019.106812

Cited by 26 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 62 publications

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“…The primary advantage of refuge traps over quadrats or soil samples is the comparably low sampling effort, which is crucial for large-scale experiments. Hence, they are frequently used to monitor slugs (e.g., [75][76][77]), but to our knowledge have not been used previously for cranefly larvae and caterpillars. As we were interested mainly in the activity periods of the pests and the differences in relative pest numbers between the sites, refuge traps were the ideal choice for this study.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of the Biological Control Potential of Common Carabid Beetle Species for Autumn- and Winter-Active Pests (Gastropoda, Lepidoptera, Diptera: Tipulidae) in Annual Ryegrass in Western Oregon

Reich

Jessie

Ahn

et al. 2020

Insects

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While carabid beetles have been shown to feed on a variety of crop pests, little is known about their species assemblages in US annual ryegrass crops, where invertebrate pests, particularly slugs, lepidopteran larvae and craneflies, incur major financial costs. This study assesses the biological control potential of carabid beetles for autumn- and winter-active pests in annual ryegrass grown for seed by: (a) investigating the spatial and temporal overlap of carabids with key pests; and (b) molecular gut content analysis using qPCR. Introduced Nebria brevicollis was the only common carabid that was active during pest emergence in autumn, with 18.6% and 8.3% of N. brevicollis collected between September and October testing positive for lepidopteran and cranefly DNA, respectively, but only 1.7% testing positive for slug DNA. While pest DNA was also detected in the guts of the other common carabid species—Agonum muelleri, Calosoma cancellatum and Poecilus laetulus—these were active only during spring and summer, when crop damage by pests is less critical. None of the four carabid species was affected by disk tilling and only N. brevicollis was significantly associated with a vegetated field margin. However, as its impact on native ecosystems is unknown, we do not recommend managing for this species.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of the Biological Control Potential of Common Carabid Beetle Species for Autumn- and Winter-Active Pests (Gastropoda, Lepidoptera, Diptera: Tipulidae) in Annual Ryegrass in Western Oregon

Reich

Jessie

Ahn

et al. 2020

Insects

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“…Moreover, the current use of neonicotinoids is facilitated by relatively low costs, convenient application modes, existence of tailored supply chains, and the necessary technology and machinery for on-farm application. Even if farmers prefer to use nontreated seed, accessing it can be challenging (Simon-Delso et al 2015, Busch et al 2020.…”

Section: Crisis and Disastermentioning

confidence: 99%

Neonicotinoids in global agriculture: evidence for a new pesticide treadmill?

Bakker¹,

Werf²,

Tittonell³

et al. 2020

E&S

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Overreliance on synthetic insecticides in global agriculture is the outcome of a "pesticide treadmill," in which insecticideinduced pest resistance development and the depletion of beneficial insect populations aggravate farmers' pesticide dependencies. Examples of the pesticide treadmill have been witnessed repeatedly over the past seven decades, prompting the question whether the rapid uptake and usage patterns of neonicotinoid insecticides and their associated environmental impact are in accordance with this recurrent phenomenon. We hypothesize a conceptual framework in which treadmills are enforced by enabling or disabling drivers within four domains: pest management decisions at the farm level, characteristics of farming landscapes, science and technology, and societal demands. These drivers then tend to create a self-enforcing pesticide "lock-in." We then analyze several post-1950s historical case studies with reference to this framework, e.g., those involving sprays of the highly hazardous DDT and methyl-parathion, in which the pesticide treadmill was initiated, sustained, and broken, and compare this with current patterns in neonicotinoid use. Historical case studies further illustrate how treadmills occur in three phases in which (i) a limited number of insecticides are routinely used, (ii) resistance development of pests results in the increased crop injury, prompting increased frequency of applications with a wider range of products, (iii) breaking out of the pesticide "lock-in" by policy change and adoption of alternative technologies that lowered chemical inputs and improved agro-ecosystem functioning. The analysis shows similarities as well as differences between neonicotinoid usage patterns and historic pesticide treadmills, and provides guidance on how to effectively avoid or dismantle pesticide treadmills in global agriculture.

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“…These are readily accessible areas for future research in the U.S. that can give agricultural producers additional confidence in reducing their reliance on insecticides. Moreover, recent research has revealed that practices that form the core of conservation agriculture (e.g., no-till farming, cover crops, animal-based fertilizers, increased diversity) can, among other benefits, improve predator populations and associated topdown control; therefore, embracing these approaches, along with IPM, can help build biological control in fields and decrease reliance on insecticides (Schipanski et al, 2014;Lundgren and Fausti, 2015;Tamburini et al, 2016;Rowen et al, 2019Rowen et al, , 2020Busch et al, 2020;Tooker et al, 2020;Wyckhuys et al, 2020).…”

Section: Concluding Thoughtsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beyond the Headlines: The Influence of Insurance Pest Management on an Unseen, Silent Entomological Majority

Krupke¹,

Tooker

2020

Front. Sustain. Food Syst.

Self Cite

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For most of the last two decades, insect pest management in key grain and oilseed crops has relied heavily on an insurance-based approach. This approach mandates a suite of management tactics prior to planting and in the absence of pest data. Because there is little flexibility for using these tactics individually, most producers have adopted this full suite of practices despite mounting evidence that some components do not provide consistent benefits. In North America in particular, this preventive approach to insect pest management has led to steep increases in use of neonicotinoid insecticides and subsequent increases in neonicotinoids in soil and water within crop fields and beyond. These increases have been accompanied by a host of non-target effects that have been most clearly studied in pollinators and insect natural enemies. Less attention has been given to the effects of this practice upon the many thousands of aquatic insect species that are often cryptic and offer negligible, or undefined, clear benefits to humans and their commerce. A survey of the literature reveals that the non-target effects of neonicotinoids upon these aquatic species are often as serious as for terrestrial species, and more difficult to address. By focusing upon charismatic insect species that provide clearly defined services, we are likely dramatically under-estimating the effects of neonicotinoids upon the wider environment. Given the mounting evidence base demonstrating that the pest management and crop yield benefits of this approach are negligible, we advocate for a return to largely-abandoned IPM principles as a readily accessible alternative path.

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A high-diversity/IPM cropping system fosters beneficial arthropod populations, limits invertebrate pests, and produces competitive maize yields

Cited by 26 publications

References 62 publications

Assessment of the Biological Control Potential of Common Carabid Beetle Species for Autumn- and Winter-Active Pests (Gastropoda, Lepidoptera, Diptera: Tipulidae) in Annual Ryegrass in Western Oregon

Assessment of the Biological Control Potential of Common Carabid Beetle Species for Autumn- and Winter-Active Pests (Gastropoda, Lepidoptera, Diptera: Tipulidae) in Annual Ryegrass in Western Oregon

Neonicotinoids in global agriculture: evidence for a new pesticide treadmill?

Beyond the Headlines: The Influence of Insurance Pest Management on an Unseen, Silent Entomological Majority

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