Native natural enemies in Mediterranean melon fields can provide levels of pest control similar to conventional pest management with broad-spectrum pesticides

Pedro, Luis de; López‐Gallego, Elena; Pérez‐Marcos, María; Ramírez‐Soria, Maria José; Sánchez, J.

doi:10.1016/j.biocontrol.2021.104778

Cited by 8 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 71 publications

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“…The localities were separated from one another by at least 7 km. All of them were surrounded by diverse horticultural crops and scattered spaces of ruderal vegetation [ 50 ]. The climate of the area is characterized by high temperatures, with an important daily variability and scarce rainfall.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Managed and Unmanaged Floral Margins on Pollination Services and Production in Melon Crops

Pérez‐Marcos

Ortiz-Sánchez

López‐Gallego

et al. 2023

Insects

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Melon is among the most consumed fruits in the world, being a crop that depends almost entirely on insects for its reproduction, which is why it is especially sensitive to declining pollination services. Restoration and maintenance of hedgerows and agricultural borders around crops are generally carried out by sowing flowering herbaceous plants or establishing shrubby species; however, a cost-effective and lower-maintenance alternative for farmers could be as simple as allowing vegetation to regenerate naturally without any management actions. This work aimed to test the effects of three different types of margins (managed herbaceous, managed shrubby, and unmanaged herbaceous) on the overall abundance and richness of wild pollinators in melon crops. The work was performed in three localities in southern Spain over two years. Pollinators were monitored visually using 1 × 1 m sampling squares and pan traps within melon fields. Moreover, crop yield was estimated by measuring fruit weight and the number of seeds. In general, higher abundances of pollinators were observed in melon fields during the second year. In addition, the abundances of Syrphidae, Andrenidae, Apidae (excl. Apis mellifera), and pollinators other than bees, belonging to the orders Diptera, Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, and Lepidoptera, showed higher values in melon fields with shrubby margins than in fields with herbaceous margins (managed or unmanaged). However, no effect of floral margins on the yield of melon crops was found.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Managed and Unmanaged Floral Margins on Pollination Services and Production in Melon Crops

Pérez‐Marcos

Ortiz-Sánchez

López‐Gallego

et al. 2023

Insects

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“…None of the fields were sprayed with insecticides, and only fungicides were applied when utterly necessary. The same calendar as for the biological control melon fields described at de Pedro et al 40 was applied. Weed control in melon fields was not necessary.…”

Section: Location and Experimental Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The melon fields were sampled to estimate the abundance of pests and natural enemies according to the protocol described by de Pedro et al 40 during spring and early summer of 2014 and 2015. The sampling of arthropods was carried out in the same dates as in margins.…”

Section: Sampling Of Arthropods In Melon Fieldsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The contribution of natural biological control to agricultural production in terms of avoided pest damage is highly significant and unquestionable 39 . For instance, in melons, biological pest control has been presented as a viable strategy to replace chemical control in the south-east of Spain: natural enemies naturally colonising melon fields were shown to supress pest populations to similar or even lower densities than insecticides applications 40 . However, although the establishment of hedgerows in the areas where most of the open field melons are grown in south-eastern Spain is compulsory since 2019, the contribution of floral plantings to pest control remains unknown.…”

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confidence: 99%

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How plant composition in margins influences the assemblage of pests and predators and its effect on biocontrol in melon fields

Sanchez,

de Pedro,

López-Gallego

et al. 2024

Sci Rep

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Many agricultural landscapes offer few resources for maintaining natural enemy populations and floral plantings have frequently been adopted to enhance biological pest control in crops. However, restored margins may harbour both pests and natural enemies. The aim was to compare the abundance of pests and natural enemies in three types of margins (unmanaged, sown herbaceous floral strips and shrubby hedgerows) as well as in adjacent melon fields. Besides, yield was compared among melon fields as way of testing the effect of the type of margin on biocontrol. The research was carried out during 2 years in twelve melon fields from four different locations in southern Spain. Arthropods were sampled periodically in margins and melon fields by visual inspections and Berlese extraction. Hedgerow and floral strips hosted higher numbers of both pests and predators than unmanaged margins. Besides, hedgerows had a similar or higher number of natural enemies than floral strips but lower number of pests. In just a few occasions, the type of margin had a significant effect on the abundance of pests and natural enemies in melon fields, but rarely there was consistency between the two growing seasons. No differences were found in yield. We hypothesised that the lack of association in the abundances of pests and natural enemies between margins and melon fields could be attributed to the overriding effects of the landscape and/or the internal population dynamics of arthropods in melon fields. Overall, shrubby hedgerows are more recommended than herbaceous floral strips.

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“…In contrast, the dynamic nature of biological control agents, with their diverse modes of action, makes it less likely for pests to develop resistance against them, ensuring more reliable long-term control. L. de Pedro et al showed that biological control can be effectively integrated with other pest management strategies, such as cultural practices, physical barriers, and genetic resistance 6) . This integrated approach, known as Integrated Pest Management (IPM), optimizes pest control while minimizing environmental impact and economic costs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biological Control of Greenhouse whitefly Trialeurodes vaporariorum with Encarsia formosa: Special Case Developed in Albania

Shahini,

Mustafaj,

Sula

et al. 2023

Evergreen

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The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of biological and non-biological methods of controlling pests of agricultural plants in the Mediterranean region based on open data. During the study, analysis methods and comparison of selected studies on pest management were used. Additionally, a synthesis was performed to identify the optimal methods that are both highly effective and environmentally conscious for controlling these pests. The chosen studies provided a dataset on control application methods, precise quantities, usage conditions, timing details, and corresponding efficiency percentages. As a result, it was determined that the potential of Encarsia formosa as a promising biological agent for the control of the greenhouse whitefly. Additionally, it was found that many pests of fruit and vegetable crops are characterized by seasonal activity peaks. Thus, the optimal timing of biological control is key to success. It was suggested that the seasonal inoculative release of Encarsia formosa, combined with the active use of traps and the limited use of insecticides, is the most effective sustainable method of controlling the greenhouse whitefly. From a practical point of view, this study offers an optimal approach to the use of Encarsia formosa as a biological pest control method for agriculture in the Mediterranean region.

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Native natural enemies in Mediterranean melon fields can provide levels of pest control similar to conventional pest management with broad-spectrum pesticides

Cited by 8 publications

References 71 publications

Effects of Managed and Unmanaged Floral Margins on Pollination Services and Production in Melon Crops

Effects of Managed and Unmanaged Floral Margins on Pollination Services and Production in Melon Crops

How plant composition in margins influences the assemblage of pests and predators and its effect on biocontrol in melon fields

Biological Control of Greenhouse whitefly Trialeurodes vaporariorum with Encarsia formosa: Special Case Developed in Albania

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