Earwig (Forficula auricularia) predation on the woolly apple aphid, Eriosoma lanigerum

Woolly apply aphid predation by the common earwig, Forficula auricularia L., and other predators was compared in high, intermediate and low earwig density plots of mature apple trees at an experimental orchard in the Netherlands. Aphid colonies were discovered and exterminated primarily by earwigs much more rapidly in the high and intermediate earwig density plots than in the low density plots. Where earwigs were excluded from trees by Tanglefoot bands around the trunks, woolly apple aphids infested 30–35% of new growth shoots whereas less than 10% of the shoots were infested where earwigs were relatively abundant.Several factors including the availability of alternate prey (e.g. Aphis pomi De Geer), earwig developmental phenology and weather probably influenced the outcome of the predation experiments. Nevertheless earwigs play an important role in suppressing woolly apple aphid populations and are potentially important, naturally occurring biological control agents for this pest.

---

Résumé L'action prédatrice exercée sur le puceron lanigère par le perceoreille commun, Forficula auricularia, et par d'autres prédateurs, a été comparée dans des parcelles d'un verger expérimental de pommiers adultes aux Pays-Bas. Ces parcelles étaient caractérisées par des densités fortes, intermédiaires, et basses en perce-oreilles. Les colonies de pucerons ont été découvertes et exterminées principalement par les perce-oreilles beaucoup plus rapidement dans les parcelles à forte et moyenne densité de perce-oreilles que dans celles à faible densité. Les pucerons lanigères ont colonisé 30 à 35% des nouvelles pousses lorsque les perce-oreilles étaient exclus par une barrière mécanique (Tanglefoot), alors que moins de 10% des pousses ont été infestées lorsque les perce-oreilles étaient relativement abondants.Plusieurs facterus ont probablement influencé le résultat des expériences de prédation, notamment la présence de proies alternatives (par exemple Aphis pomi), la phénologie du développement des perce-oreilles et le climat. Néanmoins, les perce-oreilles ont joué un rôle important en limitant les populations du puceron lanigère, et constituent potentiellement d'importants agents de contrôle naturel de ce ravageur.

     

How many species are there in apple insect communities?: testing the resource diversity and intermediate disturbance hypotheses

Abstract.

• 1 In European and American apple orchards the insect species richness, calculated from our own, and published data, varied widely (30–940 species). The dominance of insect orders was similar to that found in natural communities.
• 2 To test the predictions of the‘resource diversity hypothesis’(RDH) and the‘intermediate disturbance hypothesis’(IDH) of insect diversity, we analysed the simultaneous impact of vegetational diversity and intensity of orchard management practice on the species richness of characteristic insect categories in six types of apple stands, over 5 years, in Hungary.
• 3 The more diverse was the vegetation adjacent to the orchard and the less intensively was the orchard managed, the greater was the total insect species richness, supporting both hypotheses.
• 4 The number of agricultural pest species found in the apple orchards depended above all on the diversity of adjacent agricultural vegetation, supporting only the RDH.
• 5 The species richness of specialized apple pests was limited only by the intensity of pest control, supporting only the IDH.
• 6 Within the category of generalist natural enemies species richness mainly varied with the diversity of adjacent vegetation, supporting the RDH.
• 7 The aeroentomofauna constituted a surprisingly high percentage (>50%) for both total species and agricultural pests, but was poorly represented within the natural enemies category, and absent from the specific apple pest category.
• 8 A general conclusion is that the number of insect species in perennial orchard-systems within agricultural areas is determined primarily by the regional extra-orchard vegetational diversity and secondly by the degree of local intra-orchard disturbances and plant diversity. Consequently, at the community level the predictions of both hypotheses can be simultaneously valid at different spatial scales and are not mutually exclusive. However, within the community, at the level of the different insect categories studied here, only one of the hypotheses proved to be valid.

     

枣树叶中氨基酸的含量

通过对枣树叶中氨基酸进行测定证实,两个品种之间在氨基酸总量上无显著性差异,氨基酸含量最高的是谷氨酸、最低的是蛋氨酸。     

生物设施对柑园水土保持及树体生长发育的影响

生物设施对柑园水土保持及树体生长发育的影响张名福郑国龙（福建省顺昌县农业局,３５３２００）（福建省顺昌县园艺场,３５３２００）ＩｎｆｌｕｅｎｃｅｏｆＢｉｏｌｏｇｉｃａｌＴｒｅａｔｍｅｎｔｓｏｎＳｏｉｌａｎｄＷａｔｅｒＣｏｎｓｅｒｖａｔｂｎａｎｄＴｒｅ...     

Distribution and budget of nutrients in a commercial apple orchard

Summary Data on the dry matter distribution and nutrient reserves (N, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Mg and Na) in the standing biomass of a grassed-down 14 year-old apple orchard are presented together with mean estimates of nutrient inputs, returns and losses over a 2 year period.The major inputs of N P K and S were through fertilizer additions. The major inputs of Na and Cl were in bulk precipitation plus irrigation whilst both sources were important for Mg and Ca. Total inputs by precipitation plus irrigation plus fertilizer in kg/ha/yr were: N, 81; P, 20; S, 42; Cl, 58; K, 64; Ca, 35; Mg, 10 and Na, 33. Nutrient returns to the orchard floor were dominated by those from returns of herbage clippings orginating from the mowing of the orchard pasture. Autumn leaf fall also contributed significant quantities to the total nutrient returns. Total nutrient returns to the orchard floor through petal fall, fruit drop, leaf fall, foliar leaching (includes leaf washing) and pasture clippings in kg/ha/yr were: N, 545; P, 33; S, 41; Cl, 107; K, 442; Ca, 147; Mg, 35 and Na, 16. The major loss of Na, Mg, Ca, Cl and S was through leaching (this may include a certain amount of chemical weathering). In contrast, the major loss of P and K was in the harvested fruit crop, while for N, losses were about equally divided between the fruit crop and leaching. Total nutrient losses from the orchard by removal of the fruit crop and pruning wood plus leaching losses were estimated in kg/ha/yr at: N, 58; P, 5; S, 28; Cl, 81; K, 124; Ca, 55; Mg, 39 and Na, 80. Inputs minus losses in kg/ha/yr were positive for N, P and S(+23, +16 and +14 respectively and negative for Cl, K, Ca, Mg and Na (–24, –60, –19, –30 and –47 respectively).     

新氵冖 仝口堤围果林生态环境污染调查与保护对策

广州市海珠区新氵口冖仝镇堤围果林区设点采样,对大气、自然降水、河涌及灌溉水、河涌底泥及果基土壤等生态环境因子,以及果树叶片的污染现状进行监测调查,结合现有广州市环境污染资料,对果林生态环境污染现状进行综合分析．     

Monitoring the dynamics of orchard colonisation by Anthonomus pomorum in spring

Overwintered adult apple blossom weevils, Anthonomus pomorum (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), colonise apple trees, Malus domestica Borkh. (Rosaceae), in early spring. Information gained from a suitable monitoring technique could serve as a guide to determining the accurate timing for control measures. To assess tree colonisation by flight and crawling, Plexiglas flight traps and commercial screen traps developed for different curculionid species were used. Refuges were mimicked by a newly designed shelter trap based on transparent bubble wrap. The trap catches were contrasted to the limb jarring technique. Microclimate and weather conditions were determined over a trial period of one and a half months. The shelter traps caught a high number of weevils irrespective of weather conditions, and thus performed better than both flight and screen traps. The temperature level within the shelter traps was slightly, but significantly, higher than on the trunk, indicating that weevils exploit microclimatic differences and occupy thermally favourable refuges. The seasonal culmination of colonisation as determined by shelter traps coincided with that as determined by the two methods used to monitor weevil movement towards host trees (flight traps and screen traps). The data indicated that not only flight, but also crawling as quantified by the screen traps contributes substantially to spring colonisation. Captures by all three types of traps over the spring season were significantly positively correlated with each other, but in most respects not with the results of the limb jarring. We conclude that the newly designed shelter trap will be useful for accurately monitoring the seasonal course of colonisation and holds promise for determining the timing of interventions.     

长期生草对柑橘园土壤化学及生物学性质的影响

以柑橘园清耕、自然生草和人工生草3种管理模式为研究对象,对其土壤化学及生物学性质进行测定,探明了长期生草对柑橘园不同土层土壤碳氮磷、微生物生物量碳氮磷、酶活性的影响及其相互关系。结果表明：生草类型和土层显著影响土壤碳氮磷养分含量、微生物生物量碳氮磷含量和相应的酶活性,但两者互作仅对β-葡萄糖苷酶、N-乙酰氨基葡萄糖苷酶和亮氨基酸氨基肽酶有显著影响(P<0.05)。总体上,土壤生物化学性质在生草类型间表现为人工生草>自然生草>清耕;在土层间表现为0—10 cm>10—20 cm>20—40 cm。冗余分析表明,前两轴土壤化学及生物学指标解释了80.2%土壤酶活性的变化,且主要表现为正效应。土壤化学及生物学指标对土壤酶活性的影响也因生草类型和土层而异,人工生草在各土层中对β-葡萄糖苷酶、纤维二糖水解酶、多酚氧化酶、N-乙酰氨基葡萄糖苷酶、亮氨基酸氨基肽酶和酸性磷酸酶6种土壤碳氮磷酶活性的影响均为正效应,而自然生草仅在0—20 cm土层中对β-葡萄糖苷酶和纤维二糖水解酶活性产生正效应,两种生草类型土壤酶活性均在0—10 cm土层受土壤碳氮磷等因子影响最为突出。因...     

有机—无机肥料配施对红壤柑桔园土壤性状的影响

1985—1988年的试验结果表明,红壤柑桔园采用有机和无机肥料配施,明显改善果园土壤性状,既可增强多种土壤酶活性,又可使土壤养分含量保持较高水平。红壤柑桔园有机肥的施用量(指氮素)占总施肥量的一半左右是合适的。