Wildflower plantings enhance the abundance of natural enemies and their services in adjacent blueberry fields |
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| Institution: | 1. Applied Ecology and Conservation Lab, Post-Graduation Program in Ecology and Biodiversity Conservation, State University of Santa Cruz, Rodovia Ilhéus-Itabuna, km16, 45662-000 Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil;2. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Federal University of São Carlos, Rodovia Washington Luis, km 235, 13.562-180 São Carlos, SP, Brazil;3. Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology, Avenida C-1, 250, 14781-502 Barretos, SP, Brazil;1. CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos da Universidade do Porto, Instituto de Ciências Agrárias de Vairão, R. Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal;2. Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Rua Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal;3. Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade de Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal;1. Department of Entomology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, United States;2. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, D.C., Colombia |
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| Abstract: | Wildflower plantings can support local abundance of natural enemies, but their influence on biological control of pests in adjacent crop fields is less well documented. To test whether biological control is enhanced by these plantings, we established native, perennial wildflowers in areas adjacent to highbush blueberry fields. Once wildflowers were established we found greater abundance of natural enemies in the fields adjacent to wildflower plantings compared with those adjacent to unenhanced control field perimeters. Predaceous arthropods, including spiders, hoverflies, and lady beetles, were among the most common natural enemies observed and collected in the blueberry fields. Using corn earworm eggs, Helicoverpa zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), as sentinel prey, we found a similar pattern of biological control, with higher biological control services index values in fields adjacent to the wildflower plantings than in the unenhanced control fields. Our results provide evidence for the ability of wildflower plantings to support natural enemy populations in agricultural landscapes, and to potentially provide local enhancement of biological control in adjacent crops. |
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| Keywords: | Biological control services Conservation Insectary strips Predation Vaccinium |
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