Effects of agroforestry on pest, disease and weed control: A meta-analysis

Pumariño, Lorena; Sileshi, Gudeta W.; Gripenberg, Sofia; Kaartinen, Riikka; Barrios, Edmundo; Muchane, Mary Nyawira; Midega, Charles A. O.; Jonsson, Mattias

doi:10.1016/j.baae.2015.08.006

Cited by 152 publications

(104 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…However, we did find that pooled abundances of ground-dwelling predatory beetles and spiders increased with shade. Although not a direct assessment of predation pressure, this increase in activity density of certain groups of natural enemies is consistent with most other studies (Pumariño et al 2015) and indicates that biological control might still be part of the explanation between the reduced pest by birds Fig. 6 a Egg disappearance rate (n = 100) and b differences in aphid numbers (n = 313) in uncaged and caged treatments.…”

Section: Effect Of Shade On Biological Controlsupporting

confidence: 64%

“…This study provided further evidence that agroforestry can be used to regulate crop pests (Schroth et al 2000;Pumariño et al 2015), as presence of shade trees reduced populations of both aphids and caterpillars on kale. However, in contrast to many other studies, our work found no conclusive evidence of more effective biological control by natural enemies in shady habitats (although abundances of ground-dwelling predators did increase with agroforestry practices).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…The dispersal of natural enemies through agricultural landscapes can also be affected by the presence, size, composition and spatial arrangement of agroforestry patches (Dunning et al 1992). Many studies have shown that landscape complexity and presence of trees in agricultural habitats can improve regulation of specific pests (Bianchi et al 2006;Tscharntke et al 2011;Pumariño et al 2015) in both temperate and tropical climates, with crops as diverse as cabbage and coffee, and with natural enemies ranging from vertebrates (birds and bats) to invertebrates (parasitic wasps, ants, hoverflies and spiders) (e.g. Bianchi et al 2006;Tscharntke et al 2011;Bisseleua et al 2013;Alignier et al 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It can enhance several ecosystem services, including pest regulation (Schroth et al 2000;Tscharntke et al 2011;Pumariño et al 2015;Kuyah et al 2016). The increased habitat complexity in agroforestry plantations compared to monocultures has the potential to increase natural predator and parasitoid populations by providing shelter and alternative food sources (Landis et al 2000).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Shade trees decrease pest abundances on brassica crops in Kenya

2017

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Agroforestry practices may mitigate the current loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services due to deforestation and agricultural intensification. To examine the effects of agroforestry on the ecosystem service of pest regulation, we assessed pest abundances and biological control potential in shaded and open kale (Brassica oleracea L. acephala) fields in Western Kenya. Specifically, we compared the abundance of pest aphids and caterpillars, ground-dwelling ants, spiders and predatory beetles, and examined aphid parasitism rates, predation rates on diamondback moth eggs, attack rates on surrogate caterpillars and bird predation on aphids. Shade trees effectively reduced abundances of aphids, caterpillars and increased abundances of spiders and predatory beetles, but neither affected ant abundances, or predation and parasitism rates. Our results suggest that presence of shade trees can decrease pest abundances, but that this is not only due to improved biological control by natural enemies but also due to microclimatic conditions affecting pest performance and bottom-up processes such as changes in plant quality and soil conditions. We encourage studies exploring simultaneously how top-down and bottom-up processes affect pest regulation in agroforestry settings.

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Section: Effect Of Shade On Biological Controlsupporting

confidence: 64%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 95%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Shade trees decrease pest abundances on brassica crops in Kenya

2017

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“…In addition, the costs of weeding, both with herbicides and brush cutters, were also lower. This was related to the lower presence of weeds in the agroforestry systems, probably due to lower light penetration and higher soil cover with biomass of the shade trees, which may have hampered the growth of weeds (Pumariño et al 2015).…”

Section: Revenues and Costsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cacao agroforestry systems have higher return on labor compared to full-sun monocultures

Armengot

Barbieri

Andrés

et al. 2016

Agron. Sustain. Dev.

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The global demand for cacao has recently increased. To meet this demand, the cultivated area has been expanded in tropical forest areas and production has intensified by replacing traditional agroforestry systems with monocultures. This has led to a loss of biodiversity in cacaogrowing areas. More sustainable production systems such as agroforestry and organic managed systems are expected to yield less cacao, but by-crops and premium prices, respectively, might economically compensate for the lower yields. Here, we compared the productivity and the return on labor, that is the return per working day, of four different cacao production systems: agroforestry and monocultures under organic and conventional management. Cacao and by-crop yields, costs, revenues, and labor were registered during the first 5 years after establishment. Results show that cacao yields were, on average, 41% higher in monocultures, but the revenues derived from agroforestry by-crops economically overcompensated for this difference. Indeed, the return on labor across the years was roughly twice as high in the agroforestry systems compared to the monocultures. We found similar cacao yields and return on labor in conventional and organically managed agroforestry systems.However, in the monocultures, cacao yields were 48% lower under organic compared with conventional farming, but the return on labor was similar, mainly due to the higher costs associated to the conventional management. Overall, our findings show that cacao agroforestry systems have higher return on labor.

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Impacts of polycultural cropping on crop yields and biodiversity: A systematic map protocol

Martinez,

Gathorne‐Hardy,

Smith

2024

Ecol Sol and Evidence

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Agriculture is currently the largest driver of biodiversity‐loss worldwide. There is a critical need to develop agricultural systems that protect and promote biodiversity, while also meeting local and global food needs. Ecological theory suggests that cultivating crops in diverse mixtures both maximises niche occupancy and generates additional niches, generating both higher yields and higher biodiversity than cultivation in monocultures. A large and growing body of agronomic research provides strong evidence for the potential productivity and biodiversity benefits of in‐field crop‐diversification strategies. This protocol sets out a methodology for a systematic map of evidence on yield‐ and biodiversity‐outcomes in ‘polycultures’—systems of cultivation where multiple food crop species are grown together simultaneously at field‐scale. Systematic searches with a global scope will be conducted in Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus, and CAB Abstracts to yield a comprehensive sample of relevant published, peer‐reviewed literature. The articles returned by searches will be subject to eligibility screening according to pre‐defined inclusion criteria, at successive stages (title and abstract, and full text). Following this, we will extract data from eligible studies on study designs, survey and sampling protocols, experimental treatments and comparators, and outcomes measured. A narrative synthesis, illustrated by tables, figures and maps, will describe the quantity and characteristics of the available evidence on the impacts of polycultural cropping on (i) crop yields, and (ii) agroecosystem biodiversity. We will also identify the research that examines these two outcomes in parallel. The synthesis will be accompanied by a published database containing bibliographic information as well as data (see ‘2’) on study characteristics and outcomes. Practical implications. The anticipated systematic map will provide a synthesis of current evidence regarding the potential yield‐ and biodiversity‐impacts of polycultural cropping. We will identify key knowledge gaps, and ‘clusters’ of related evidence that could lend themselves to further quantitative synthesis via subsequent systematic reviews and/or meta‐analyses. As such, the work will facilitate future appraisal of the potential of polyculture as a tool to bridge the currently conflicting priorities of food production on the one hand and biodiversity conservation on the other.

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Effects of agroforestry on pest, disease and weed control: A meta-analysis

Cited by 152 publications

References 60 publications

Shade trees decrease pest abundances on brassica crops in Kenya

Shade trees decrease pest abundances on brassica crops in Kenya

Cacao agroforestry systems have higher return on labor compared to full-sun monocultures

Impacts of polycultural cropping on crop yields and biodiversity: A systematic map protocol

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