Systemic Approaches to Pest Management without Pesticides -Biological control of pests with predators and parasitoids

Lene Sigsgaard Department of Agriculture and Ecology Zoology group

Chinese-Danish networking on Systemic approaches to pest management without pesticides, China 13-18 April 2012 dato, og ”Enhedens L. Sigsgaard, Slide 1 Trophic interactions

Research needed to understand biological mechanisms guiding outcome of pest management

Interactions of beneficial with plant and pests

Scales from organism ‰ field ‰ landscape.

dato, og ”Enhedens Slide 2 Response to abiotic factors

Effect of climate change on –example Agrotis segetum

Temperature -dependent development and activity

Simonsen et al 2009 dato, og ”Enhedens Slide 3 Interactions with prey –example two predators –Anthocoris nemorum and A. nemoralis

1.6 A. nemorum 1.2 A. nemoralis 0.8 0.4 0 Average number eaten dead eaten dead

C. pyri A. mali

Sigsgaard, 2010 dato, og ”Enhedens Slide 4 Interactions with plant

15 Apple 10 Pear 5 Averageeggs 0 A. nemorum A. nemoralis

Sigsgaard, 2010 dato, og ”Enhedens Slide 5 Field ecology - Seasonal distribution of predators - and the role of vegetation in the orchard

3.5 A. nemorum, annual vegetation 3.0

2.5 A. nemorum, apple trees 2.0 M ean 1.5

1.0

0.5 A. nemoralis, apple trees

0.0 03 May 01 03 Jun 01 03 Jul 01 03 Aug 01 03 Sep 01 03 Oct 01

Date

Sigsgaard, 2010 dato, og ”Enhedens Slide 6 Lene Sigsgaard - Zoologisk sektion

Inundative releases –why?

Can supplement conservation biological control Lack of / failure of insecticides

dato, og ”Enhedens Slide 7 Demonstrated that mass-release of A. nemoralis nymphs consistently could reduce Cacopsylla pyri infestation

dato, og ”Enhedens Slide 8 Sigsgaard et al 2006 comariana

dato, og ”Enhedens Slide 9 Experiences from –integrated biological control of key pests

•Spider mites and strawberry mites • -predatory mites biocontrol in some use •Strawberry weevil –Anthonomus rubi pyrethroids • -entomopathogenic fungi, • -early warning/ mass trapping •Strawberry tortricids –Acleris comariana pyrethroids • -Bacillus thuringiensis, • -mechanical control • -conservation biological control

•Availability of biocontrol agents can help take-up in small market •Control in autumn is targeting next year –preventive treament -but not all years give problems

dato, og ”Enhedens Slide 10 Field and field surroundings

Field margin Field

bufferzone hedgerow Grass strip Hedge bottom (sterile strip) At a landscape scale -increased biodiversity by providing pesticide free buffer zones

a. Syrphids Distance . 0 A a A a A a B a B a 0.5 0.6 0.6 0.5 0.3 2

A b A ab A a AB a A a 0.3 0.9 1.8 2.1 2.3 5

A b A ab A ab A a A a 0.6 1.4 1.9 2.4 2.7 9

A c A bc A bc A a A ab 0.7 0.9 1.0 2.8 2.4 18

A b A b A b AB b A a 1.0 1.1 1.2 0.9 3.3 0 4 6 12 24 Buffer width b. Spiders c. Carabids Distance . 0 Distance . 0 A a AB a B a BC a B a A a AB a B a B a A a 1.2 1.2 1.4 2.3 2.7 1.8 2.6 1.4 2.0 3.1 2 2 A c A bc A ab A ab A a 1.7 3.3 5.3 6.7 8.6 A b A a A a A ab A ab 2.1 5.9 8.1 5.9 5.0 5 5 A b AB b A a A a A a 1.1 1.9 5.5 8.0 8.1 A ab B b A a A a A a 3.4 2.0 7.4 6.3 7.0 9 9 A b B b B b AB a A a 1.0 0.9 1.1 5.0 10.2 A c B bc B bc AB a A ab 18 1.0 1.6 1.7 5.5 4.3 18 A b B b B b C b A a 0.6 0.6 1.0 0.9 10.8 A a B a B a AB a A a 1.3 1.4 2.0 2.7 4.1 0 4 6 12 24 0 4 6 12 24 Buffer width Buffer width

Navntoft, Sigsgaard, Esbjerg 2012 dato, og ”Enhedens Slide 12 Landscape effects on wild bees – strawberry pollination

Ahrenfeldt et al., 2012 dato, og ”Enhedens Slide 13 Ecosystem services

Putting figures on the value of biological control -and the value of pollination

CFE system –combined food energy system • Biomass hedges and crops • Crop rotation • Organic management • Energy neutral

Porter et al 2009 dato, og ”Enhedens Slide 14 Interactions in a complex of predators -Example spiders in rice

As diversity increases biocontrol also increases

Sigsgaard 2007 Ongoing and new research activities -Systemic approaches to pest management without pesticides Fruitgrowth 2011-14 – Novel organic solutions securing future growth -several Danish partners

Softpest Multitrap 2012-14 -Core Organic II Mass-trappping of insect pests in strawberry and raspberry

Imbicont 2012-15

Inbiosoil 2012-15 -EU FP7

ProGrOV 2011-15

dato, og ”Enhedens Slide 16 Fruitgrowth -Ecological infrastructures • Can functional biodiversity contribute to codling control? • In orchards with or without flower strips assess level of predation and parasitism on codling moth egg cohorts May-June 2012 and May-June 2013 • Spatial aspects –effect of flower strip and landscape parametres on pest, predator and parasitoid densities (GIS-analysis)

dato, og ”Enhedens Slide 17 Fruitgrowth -New mass-release methods of Trichogramma

• Can inundative releases with Trichogramma spp reduce codling moth density and crop lossess

Trichogramma female

Cydia pomonella eggs dato, og ”Enhedens Slide 18 CORE ORGANIC II: Softpest Multitrap 2012-14 Bioforsk Norway, KTH Sweden, KU-LIFE Denmark, EMR + U. Greewich, UK, Agroscope, CH, Latvian Plant Protection Res. C.

dato, og ”Enhedens Slide 19 A. rubi numbers in 2009

total 90 80 70 Early warning/ 60 Mass trapping 50 40 A. rubi 30 damage 20 10 0

Weevils are observed over 2 weeks before damage (mid May –Early June) dato, og ”Enhedens Slide 20 Experiences with pear psyllid

•Pesticide resistance -growers wish to avoid pesticides

•In small and scattered orchards as the Danish, mass-release of immature A. nemoralis yielded consistently good results

•Immature A. nemoralis not for sale -a few use release of adults

•Mostly growers rely on naturally occurring beneficials also since damaging years cannot be predicted

dato, og ”Enhedens Slide 21 Conclusion Use of biological control has been guided by:

• Lack of pesticides •Lack of effect of pesticides due to resistance •Economy •Societies wishes for better environment and health

To move BC to outdoor crops –what can we do

• Basic knowledge needed •How to handle complex systems •Use of multiple beneficials in combinations also with other strategies- - •Contribute to new mindset: no silver bullet

dato, og ”Enhedens Slide 22 dato, og ”Enhedens Slide 23