“…Although some cropping patterns such as intercropping are practiced to protect highly erodable land from soil erosion, fertilizer management, or weed control (Vandermeer, 1989;Theunissen, 1994), they can also enhance insect predator populations through their contribution to habitat diversification (Alderweireldt, 1994;Theunissen, 1994;Mineau and Mclaughlin, 1996;Obrycki and Kring, 1998;Mensah, 1999;Parajulee and Slosser, 1999;Prasifka et al, 1999). Relay intercropping is a pattern that allows planting of one inter-crop species before another so that their life cycles partially overlap (Kass, 1978) and provide a predator reservoir before the arrival of key pests of the primary crop (Gold et al, 1990;Lys and Nentwig, 1992).…”