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Functional biodiversity to improve pest control in organic cropping systems

Pfiffner, Lukas; Schärer, Hans-Jakob and Luka, Henryk (2013) Functional biodiversity to improve pest control in organic cropping systems. Paper at: Korean organic conference, Suwon, Korea, 25th October, 2013. [Submitted]

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Summary

A sustainable use of functional agrobiodiversity (FAB) providing habitats with suitable floral resources is needed to conserve and improve pest control by natural enemies in organic cropping and other low-input systems. We present an overview on our activities identifying appropriate flowering plants in relation to the antagonists-pest complex and quantifying benefits and limits in lab- and field tests. We have focussed on the control of apple-aphids and cabbage lepidopterean pests in two organic cropping systems. We can show that tailoring the flowering strips to the needs of specific natural enemies within a cropping system is a key issue for successful application of FAB. We found plants as Fagopyrum esculentum, Centaurea cyanus and Vicia sativa enhancing target parasitoids in cabbage, and we found Daucus carota, Carvum carvi, Pastinca sativa, Vicia sepium as promising plants in apple orchards. A successful on-farm application of FAB using flowering strips and companion plants is challenging and needs further analyses of its impact on pest control, considering different scales as plot, farm and landscape.


EPrint Type:Conference paper, poster, etc.
Type of presentation:Paper
Keywords:functional agrobiodiversity, habitat management, natural enemies, pest control, flowering strips, companion plant, apple, aphids, cabbage, lepidopterea, Funktionelle Biodiversität, Habitatmanagement, Wildtierfreundlicher Biolandbau, Naturschutz
Agrovoc keywords:
Language
Value
URI
English
biodiversity
http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_33949
Subjects: Environmental aspects > Biodiversity and ecosystem services
Crop husbandry > Crop health, quality, protection
Research affiliation: Switzerland > FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture Switzerland > Sustainability > Biodiversity > Functional agrobiodiversity
Deposited By: Pfiffner, Dr. Lukas
ID Code:25470
Deposited On:22 Mar 2014 15:43
Last Modified:31 Aug 2021 14:15
Document Language:English
Status:Submitted
Refereed:Not peer-reviewed

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