Abstract
The effect of intercropping sorghum with legumes on insect diversity and population dynamics of natural enemies was evaluated in the 2015/2016 cropping season at Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources in Sebele, Gaborone. Sorghum monocrop, Sorghum bicolar (L) Moench, was intercropped with four commonly grown legumes, namely cowpea, Vigna unguiculata (L) Walp.; groundnut, Arachis hypogea L.; Bambara groundnut, Vigna subterranean (L.) Verdc; and chickpea, Cicer arietinum L. The study showed that intercropping significantly increased insect abundance, from 176.50 individuals on the monocrop to 438 individuals when sorghum was intercropped with cowpea being the highest among the intercrops. Similarly, species diversity significantly increased from 0.24 on monocrop to 0.54 when sorghum was intercropped with cowpea. There were more herbivores than predators, and the predominant insect herbivore found infesting sorghum was Melanaphis sacchari (Zehntner) (n = 2495), followed by Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) (n = 650). There was a significant difference in the level of parasitism between monocrop and intercrop systems. There were significantly more stemborer parasitoids found in the intercrops, ranging from 1 to 5%, compared to sorghum monocrop where no parasitism was observed. Predatory coccinellid density was not significantly influenced by intercropping but was by time of sampling. The results add to the body of knowledge indicating that intercropping significantly increases insect diversity and reduces the pressure of herbivores on crops in agroecosystems. Intercropping sorghum with legumes increased the number of biological control agents and reduced herbivore populations, and therefore can be recommended as a component of integrated pest management.
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Claims 13
Claim · model-written summary
Cowpea intercropping increased insect abundance from 176.50 to 438 individuals relative to sorghum monocrop.
- Treatment
- intercropped with cowpeae0
- Outcome
- insect abundancee0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 438 individualse0
- Qualifier
- 176.50 individualse0
- Comparator
- monocrope0
SorghumOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“intercropping significantly increased insect abundance, from 176.50 individuals on the monocrop to 438 individuals when sorghum was intercropped with cowpea”
Claim · model-written summary
Cowpea intercropping increased insect species diversity from 0.24 to 0.54.
- Treatment
- intercropped with cowpeae0
- Outcome
- species diversitye0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 0.54e0
- Qualifier
- 0.24e0
- Comparator
- monocrope0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“species diversity significantly increased from 0.24 on monocrop to 0.54 when sorghum was intercropped with cowpea”
Claim · model-written summary
Herbivores were more numerous than predators.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“There were more herbivores than predators”
t0“sorghum”
Claim · model-written summary
Melanaphis sacchari was the predominant sorghum herbivore, with 2495 counted.
- Interactor
- Melanaphis sacchariMelanaphis saccharie0herbivore
- Outcome
- predominant insect herbivoree0
- Value
- n = 2495e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“predominant insect herbivore found infesting sorghum was Melanaphis sacchari (Zehntner) (n = 2495)”
Claim · model-written summary
Chilo partellus was next most prevalent, with 650 counted.
- Interactor
- Chilo partellus
_Figure_27c.jpg?width=60)
Chilo partelluse0herbivore - Outcome
- Chilo partelluse0
- Value
- n = 650e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
_Figure_27c.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“followed by Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) (n = 650)”
t0“sorghum”
Claim · model-written summary
Parasitism differed significantly between monocrop and intercrop systems.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“There was a significant difference in the level of parasitism between monocrop and intercrop systems”
t0“sorghum”
Claim · model-written summary
Stemborer parasitoids were significantly more abundant in intercrops, with 1 to 5% parasitism versus none in monocrop.
- Treatment
- intercropse0
- Outcome
- stemborer parasitoidse0
- Direction
- moree0
- Value
- 1 to 5%e0
- Qualifier
- no parasitisme0
- Comparator
- sorghum monocrope0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“significantly more stemborer parasitoids found in the intercrops, ranging from 1 to 5%, compared to sorghum monocrop where no parasitism was observed”
Claim · model-written summary
Intercropping did not significantly affect predatory coccinellid density.
- Treatment
- intercroppinge0
- Outcome
- Predatory coccinellid densitye0
- Direction
- not significantly influencede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Predatory coccinellid density was not significantly influenced by intercropping”
t0“sorghum”
Claim · model-written summary
Sampling time significantly affected predatory coccinellid density.
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Predatory coccinellid density was not significantly influenced by intercropping but was by time of sampling”
t0“sorghum”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors conclude intercropping increases insect diversity and reduces herbivore pressure.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“intercropping significantly increases insect diversity and reduces the pressure of herbivores on crops”
t0“sorghum”
Claim · model-written summary
Intercropping increased biological control agent numbers.
- Treatment
- Intercropping sorghum with legumese0
- Outcome
- number of biological control agentse0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Intercropping sorghum with legumes increased the number of biological control agents”
Claim · model-written summary
Intercropping reduced herbivore populations.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Intercropping sorghum with legumes increased the number of biological control agents and reduced herbivore populations”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors recommend sorghum-legume intercropping as part of integrated pest management.
- Outcome
- component of integrated pest managemente0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“can be recommended as a component of integrated pest management”
t0“sorghum”
The same questions in other papers
Vigna unguiculata · pest · SorghumPositive and negative results
2 papers in the same direction as this paper · 1 in the opposite direction
- negative
- positive
- positive
intercropping · pest · SorghumPositive and negative results
2 in the opposite direction · 1 reporting no difference from an alternative
- negative
- negative
- no effect
Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.