40% of world production crops pests, weeds and diseases every year. problem is increasing. globalization and the enormous transfer of plant products. Authentic epidemics are also occurring in the agricultural world. and they appear resistance to phytosanitary products used against them. Scientists look for solutions. A recent investigation concluded that: Mixing crops is an effective tool to control pests.
The agricultural sector is currently facing major challenges due to its impact. climate changesupporting more existence extreme temperatures and older soil erosion risks, which makes it more prone to the reproduction of pests. Controlling them is difficult.
A new study from the University of Florida published in the ‘Journal of Applied Ecology’ concludes: Co-planting, the practice of planting crop mixes (mixed planting), can be an effective pest control tool worldwide..
The analysis compiled the results of 44 field studies on six continents and focused on four types of crops (cabbage, squash, cotton and onions) grown alone and mixed with related plant species.
In these studies, scientists recorded 272 estimates of the abundance of 35 different herbivorous insect species in crops, representing one of the most comprehensive assessments of combined crop effectiveness to date.
“Crop diversification offers a promising solution to meet the growing global demand for food while maintaining ecosystem services.“, because they reduce pest abundance. Overall, ‘dual cultures’ produced a strong reduction in insect abundance in the focus crop.
‘three sisters’
“Generally, co-cultivation has proven to be very effective against pestsPhilip Hahn, assistant professor in the department of Entomology and Nematology at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), who led the study.”
“It also depends on the type of crop. So cabbage and pumpkin show the strongest resistance, while in the case of onions and cotton the resistance is less strong,” he explains.
There are some common co-cropping methods that work. For example, non-commercial crops can be placed on the perimeter of the field to repel or stop pests before damaging the commercial crop.
Companion plants can also be planted in the field to prevent pests from finding the main crops. It is known as a common combination that works against pests. ‘Three Sisters’: Corn, Zucchini and Beans.
Another finding of this study is that Interspersed planting schemes such as ‘Three Sisters’ make it difficult for pests to find their preferred host plant. and more effective than border plantings.
“In the studies we reviewed, we found that clipping together was more effective. common pests those who feed on a variety of crops,” states Hahn. special pests targeting one type of crop was less affected,” he adds.
The explanation for this phenomenon is that particular pests usually have a long history of co-evolution with the plants they target and are therefore less susceptible to the presence of a neighboring companion plant.
Best results in the tropics
Researchers have long been interested in examining the value of information systems. cropsprovides a wealth of previously published data.
Hahn included more recent work alongside all of this previous analysis, which allows for a comprehensive assessment of the conditions that best support the benefits of mixed cultivation.
While variability has proven to be a common theme across all studies, Hahn notes that a weak geographic pattern is emerging. “We found a greater benefit of pest suppression at lower latitudes; that is, in tropical systems compared to northern temperate systems,” emphasizes the entomologist.
“Of course there are many reasons why we found this model; the tropics are where more insect species are found throughout the year.. It was surprising that the model wasn’t as strong as I had hoped for,” says Hahn.
The analysis will serve as a starting point for future research because neighboring plant selections may be key to success in co-cropping systems. In fact, this new research provides recommendations for using the most effective ancillary herbs, while highlighting pairs that seem less effective.
“There are some combinations that seem particularly effective at reducing the abundance of pests,” the researcher explains. “Overall, for growers interested in organic methods, co-cultivation seems to be a very effective tool,” he concludes.
https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2664.14382
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