David Orr, Charlie Plush, Aaron Fox
CEFS SOSA 2011 Workshop:
Photo by Charlie Plush
On-Farm Habitat To Provid
Multiple Ecosystem Service
Seminar Outline:
-Introduction
-Agriculture and Ecology
-Natural Control And Biological Control
-Beneficial Organisms
Predators Parasitoids Habitat Needs
Chris Evans, River to River CWMA, Bugwood.org
Chris Evans, River to River CWMA, Bugwood.org
Insects Affect …….
What we eat …
Where we live … How we live
Why Aren’t We Covered in Bugs?
Why Aren’t We Covered in Bugs?
Natural Control
"natural control" is "the maintenance
of … population density of an
organism within … upper and lower
limits over … time by the actions of
abiotic and/or biotic environmental
factors.“
DeBach (1964)
•
• physical factors
(e.g. weather)
•
• food
•
• competition
•
• space or
territory
•
• natural enemies
(beneficial organisms)
Annual US value, natural control, native pests (all factors) $13.6 billion
From: Losey and Vaughan 2006. Bioscience.
Value of Natural Control
Annual US value, natural control, native pests (by insects) $4.49 billion
Biological Control
The “… importation, augmentation,
and conservation of beneficial
organisms to regulate population
densities of other organisms”
• Three Methods:
• Importation
• Augmentation
• Conservation
Univ. of Idaho Archives Bugwood.org
IPM Practices
Biological Control:
1. Importation:
Usually involves importation of natural
enemies from exotic, invasive pests
native homeland
Not applicable to most NC growers
IPM Practices
2. Augmentation:
Natural enemy populations increased
through mass rearing and release for
suppression of native or exotic pests
1. Importation: N/A
Moderate use by NC growers
IPM Practices
Biological Control:
2. Augmentation: Moderate use
1. Importation: N/A
3. Conservation:
The practice of enhancing natural enemy
efficacy through modification of the
environment or existing pesticide practices
IPM Practices
2. Augmentation: Moderate use
1. Importation: N/A
3. Conservation:
a. modification of existing pesticide practices
IPM Practices
Biological Control:
2. Augmentation: Moderate use
1. Importation: N/A
3. Conservation:
a. modification of existing pesticide practices
(i) physiologically selective pesticides
-various databases
-Beneficial Disruption Index (BDI) (Hoque et al. 2002)
(ii) ecologically selective use of pesticides
-reduced dosages (e.g. lowest recommended rates) -selective formulations and materials (e.g. systemic) -spatial selectivity (e.g. spot-treating)
-temporal selectivity (e.g. non-persistent materials)
IPM Practices
2. Augmentation: Moderate use
1. Importation: N/A
3. Conservation:
a. modification of existing pesticide practices
b. modification of the environment
IPM Practices
Biological Control:
Farmscaping
-a whole farm ecological approach to pest managemen
-management of landscape elements on a farm to
Farmland Beneficial Insects?
Plant Feeders
Russ Ottens, Univ. of Georgia, Bugwood.org
Whitney Cranshaw Co. State Univ. Bugwood.org
Weed Seed Predators
Parasites, Predators
Lisa Forehand
David Cappaert, Michigan State Univ., Bugwood org
Butterflies
Pollinators
David Cappaert, Michigan State Univ., Bugwood.org
Shelter Habitats
Conservation Biocontrol
Shelter Habitats
Conservation Biocontrol
Beneficial Insect Habitat Requirements:
Offer suitable biotic and abiotic conditions for: -overwintering
-aestivation -reproduction -refuge Internal Habitat:
-perennial or annual herbaceous
-designed not to impede farm machinery or practice
Shelter Habitats
Conservation Biocontrol
Beneficial Insect Habitat Requirements:
Offer suitable biotic and abiotic conditions for: -overwintering
-aestivation -reproduction -refuge Internal Habitat:
-perennial or annual herbaceous
Example:
Polisteswasp nest boxesConservation Biocontrol
Shelter Habitats:
external habitat; reproduction
Arthur Miller
NYSIPM
Howard Schwartz
CDFA
Example:
Anagruswasps on blackberry/grape leafhoppersConservation Biocontrol
Example: Tobacco hornworm on tomatoes
Conservation Biocontrol
Shelter Habitats:
external habitat; reproduction
Lisa Forehand
Lisa Forehand
Example: Tobacco hornworm on tomatoes
Conservation Biocontrol
Shelter Habitats:
external habitat; reproduction
B. Newton, UK, 2005
Lisa Forehand
Corel Photo CD
Lisa Forehand
Learnnc.org
Snowberry Clearwing Host Plants: Honeysuckle
Example: Tobacco hornworm on tomatoes
Conservation Biocontrol
Shelter Habitats:
external habitat; reproduction
Snowberry Clearwing Host Plants: Honeysuckle
family
Lisa Forehand
motego1
nitro.biosci.arizona.edu
MDA Michigan.gov
Great Ash Sphinx Host Plants: Ash, Lilac
Learnnc.org
Lisa Forehand
B. Newton, UK, 2005 Corel Photo CD
Example: Tobacco hornworm on tomatoes
Conservation Biocontrol
Shelter Habitats:
external habitat; reproduction
Lisa Forehand
Pandora Sphinx
Host Plants: Virginia creeper Wild grape Patrick Coin
Example: Non-prey food – floral resources
Conservation Biocontrol
Shelter Habitats:
external habitat; reproduction
Parasitoid Nectar Provision Hypothesis (Heimpel & Jervis 2005) -parasitoids sugar-limited in simplified habitats
-providing nectar source alleviates limitation -↑longevity, fecundity, ability to suppress pests
Example: Non-prey food – floral resources
Conservation Biocontrol
Parasitoid Nectar Provision Hypothesis (Heimpel & Jervis 2005) -parasitoids sugar-limited in simplified habitats
-providing nectar source alleviates limitation -↑longevity, fecundity, ability to suppress pests Empirical Evidence
-many laboratory studies: ↑longevity, fecundity -several field studies: ↑longevity
-one field study: ↑fecundity -ability to suppress pests?
Example: Non-prey food – floral resources
Conservation Biocontrol
Shelter Habitats:
external habitat; reproduction
Fenbrook Farms
CDFA
Buckwheat
Example:
Mymaridwasps and cover cropsConservation Biocontrol
Fenbrook Farms
CDFA
Buckwheat
Howard Schwartz
NYSIPM
Example:
Mymaridwasps and cover cropsConservation Biocontrol
Shelter Habitats:
external habitat; reproduction
Hover Fly Adult
Example: Nectar, predatory flies
Conservation Biocontrol
Russ Ottens Paper Wasps Jessica Lawrence Sphecid Wasps
Golden Digger Wasp
John Meyer
Example: Nectar, predatory wasps
Conservation Biocontrol
Shelter Habitats:
external habitat; reproduction
Russ Ottens Paper Wasps Jessica Lawrence Sphecid Wasps
Golden Digger Wasp
Mountain Mint
Aralia spinosa
Example: Nectar, predatory wasps
Conservation Biocontrol
Brian Kunkel, University of Delaware, Bugwood.org
Example: Non-prey food – honeydew resources
Conservation Biocontrol
Shelter Habitats:
external/internal; reproduction
Providing Habitat: General
Providing Habitat: General
Recommendation
• “Neat and Tidy”
David Orr, Charlie Plush, Aaron Fox
CEFS SOSA 2011 Workshop:
Photo by Charlie Plush