Options for diversifying agricultural systems to reduce pesticide use: Can we learn from nature?

Werf, Wopke Van der; Bianchi, Felix J.J.A.

doi:10.1177/00307270221077442

Cited by 20 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 84 publications

(89 reference statements)

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“…This view is challenged by the widespread existence of present-day cereal fields of “contemporary agriculture”, which are close mimics of the naturally monodominant vegetation of their wild relatives [ 15 , 16 ]. Moreover, Van der Werf and Bianchi [ 17 ] addressed the need to “learn from nature” in order to reduce pesticide use in cropping; they concluded that diversification is not a silver bullet.…”

Section: The Promotion Of Species Diversity In Fields For Stability U...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Crop Diversity in Agroecosystems for Pest Management and Food Production

Lenné,

Wood

2024

Plants

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During the past 30 years, there has been a growing belief in and promotion of agroecosystem diversity for pest management and future food production as an agroecological or nature-based approach. Monoculture agriculture, which produces most of our food, is considered to be highly vulnerable to pests in contrast to plant species-diverse agroecosystems which may possess a greater abundance of natural enemies, keeping pest populations under control. In this paper, we question the role of crop diversity for pest management and explore the relationship between crop and associated diversity and pests through the following processes: environmental stresses that favor monodominance; evolutionary adaptations that resist insect herbivores (genetic resistance response); mechanisms of spatial escape from insect herbivores (escape response); and the role of crop-associated biodiversity. We present strong evidence that not only questions the high vulnerability of monocultures to pest damage but also supports why monocultures continue to produce most of the world’s food. Reference is made to the importance of targeted plant breeding and the role of trans-continental crop introduction supported by efficient quarantine for pest management. We conclude that—with the exception of irrigated rice—much more research is needed to better understand the role of crop diversity in agroecosystems for pest management and food production.

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Section: The Promotion Of Species Diversity In Fields For Stability U...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Crop Diversity in Agroecosystems for Pest Management and Food Production

Lenné,

Wood

2024

Plants

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“…Despite the broad potential in agricultural pest management, cover crops are still not considered a silver bullet due to the risks associated with environmental stewardship [ 86 ]. The wide adoption of cover crops has not been achieved yet due to the economic, biological, and farm operational factors and uncertainties in pest dynamics [ 87 ].…”

Section: Cover Crops Tea Yield and Biological Controlmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intercropping Cover Crops for a Vital Ecosystem Service: A Review of the Biocontrol of Insect Pests in Tea Agroecosystems

Pokharel

Han

Fang

et al. 2023

Plants

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The intercropping of cover crops has been adopted in several agroecosystems, including tea agroecosystems, which promotes ecological intensification. Prior studies have shown that growing cover crops in tea plantations provided different ecological services, including the biocontrol of pests. Cover crops enrich soil nutrients, reduce soil erosion, suppress weeds and insect pests, and increase the abundance of natural enemies (predators and parasitoids). We have reviewed the potential cover crops that can be incorporated into the tea agroecosystem, particularly emphasizing the ecological services of cover crops in pest control. Cover crops were categorized into cereals (buckwheat, sorghum), legumes (guar, cowpea, tephrosia, hairy indigo, and sunn hemp), aromatic plants (lavender, marigold, basil, and semen cassiae), and others (maize, mountain pepper, white clover, round-leaf cassia, and creeping indigo). Legumes and aromatic plants are the most potent cover crop species that can be intercropped in monoculture tea plantations due to their exceptional benefits. These cover crop species improve crop diversity and help with atmospheric nitrogen fixation, including with the emission of functional plant volatiles, which enhances the diversity and abundance of natural enemies, thereby assisting in the biocontrol of tea insect pests. The vital ecological services rendered by cover crops to monoculture tea plantations, including regarding the prevalent natural enemies and their pivotal role in the biocontrol of insect pests in the tea plantation, have also been reviewed. Climate-resilient crops (sorghum, cowpea) and volatile blends emitting aromatic plants (semen cassiae, marigold, flemingia) are recommended as cover crops that can be intercropped in tea plantations. These recommended cover crop species attract diverse natural enemies and suppress major tea pests (tea green leaf hopper, white flies, tea aphids, and mirid bugs). It is presumed that the incorporation of cover crops within the rows of tea plantations will be a promising strategy for mitigating pest attacks via the conservation biological control, thereby increasing tea yield and conserving agrobiodiversity. Furthermore, a cropping system with intercropped cover crop species would be environmentally benign and offer the opportunity to increase natural enemy abundance, delaying pest colonization and/or preventing pest outbreaks for pest management sustainability.

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“…Developing plants able to resist pathogens is a very important goal for breeders since biotic stresses are among the main limiting factors for world agriculture [25,[86][87][88]. In addition, there is a need to reduce the use of harmful pesticides [89][90][91][92], an important aspect, especially in urban areas where human presence is considerably high and where people are more likely to come into contact with treatment residues that pollute the environment. Compared to other traits, pathogen resistance was more often found to be controlled by a single gene than by multilocus interactions.…”

Section: Pathogen Stressmentioning

confidence: 99%

The New Green Challenge in Urban Planning: The Right Genetics in the Right Place

et al. 2022

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The creation of green areas within urban centers was born as a response to profoundly different problems, such as the demographic increase and the progressive urbanization of landscapes. Moreover, up to date, the genetics of plants has not been considered for urban contexts. The purpose of this review is to discuss the state of the art and the advantages in planning genetic improvement for plants for urban destinations, also providing technical information, that may contribute in a concrete way. Firstly, recent genomic sources and their potential contribution to breeding programs are discussed. Then, dividing the urban scenarios into four macro areas (i.e., urban/metropolitan parks, urban gardens, road verges and roofs/terraces/balconies), we described the role of genetics in the adaptability and sustainability of plants in these different contexts. In addition, we analyzed the genetic traits plants need to provide services for a city environment and population (e.g., pollution reduction, biodiversity conservation, soil stability, and food production).

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Options for diversifying agricultural systems to reduce pesticide use: Can we learn from nature?

Cited by 20 publications

References 84 publications

Crop Diversity in Agroecosystems for Pest Management and Food Production

Crop Diversity in Agroecosystems for Pest Management and Food Production

Intercropping Cover Crops for a Vital Ecosystem Service: A Review of the Biocontrol of Insect Pests in Tea Agroecosystems

The New Green Challenge in Urban Planning: The Right Genetics in the Right Place

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