Abstract
Abstract Field margin plants around crops are postulated to increase natural enemy abundance to enhance pest management. A trial was conducted to determine the contribution of field margin vegetation and cropping systems to natural enemies of bean aphids ( Aphis fabae ) on Lablab purpureus , an orphan crop legume. Natural enemy populations were surveyed in plots with a combination of lablab monocrop or maize‐lablab intercrop and with or without planted field margins comprising four plant species ( Chenopodium album , Bidens pilosa , Galinsoga parviflora and Tagetes minuta ), arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replicates. A cage experiment was also conducted to understand the extent to which these field margin plants supported the parasitoid wasp, Aphidius colemani , to parasitize bean aphids. A total of 2029 insects from 10 families were collected using sticky cards and pan traps. In comparison to plots with no field margin plants, the presence of plant‐rich field margins increased abundance of natural enemies by 9.5% and supported higher populations of Braconidae (parasitoids) and damsel bugs (predators). The maize‐lablab intercrop had 15.5% lower abundance of natural enemies than the lablab monocrop. Higher grain yield was recorded in plots with a field margin vegetation (300 kg ha −1 ) compared to plots without field margin vegetation (210 kg ha −1 ). The presence of a companion plant did not significantly affect the performance of parasitoids, in the cage experiment, indicating that parasitoids were not limited by access to food. In supporting aphid parasitization, B. pilosa was associated with the highest number of mummies (8.28). The lowest number of mummies were observed in cages with T. minuta (3.44). These results demonstrate the potential of plant‐rich field margins to augment natural enemy populations and enhance conservation biocontrol of aphids.
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Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
Plant-rich margins increased natural enemy abundance by 9.5% relative to no margins.
- Taxon
- Lablab purpureus
Lablab purpureust0 - Treatment
- plant‐rich field marginse0
- Outcome
- abundance of natural enemiese0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 9.5%e0
- Comparator
- no field margin plantse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In comparison to plots with no field margin plants, the presence of plant‐rich field margins increased abundance of natural enemies by 9.5%”
t0“Lablab purpureus”
Claim · model-written summary
Plant-rich margins supported higher Braconidae and damsel bug populations.
- Taxon
- Lablab purpureusLablab purpureust0
- Treatment
- plant‐rich field marginse0
- Outcome
- populations of Braconidae (parasitoids) and damsel bugs (predators)e0
- Direction
- highere0
- Comparator
- no field margin plantse1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the presence of plant‐rich field margins increased abundance of natural enemies by 9.5% and supported higher populations of Braconidae (parasitoids) and damsel bugs (predators)”
t0“Lablab purpureus”
e1“In comparison to plots with no field margin plants, the presence of plant‐rich field margins increased abundance of natural enemies by 9.5%”
Claim · model-written summary
Maize–lablab intercropping had 15.5% lower natural enemy abundance than lablab monocropping.
- Taxon
- Lablab purpureusLablab purpureust0
- Treatment
- maize‐lablab intercrope0
- Outcome
- abundance of natural enemiese0
- Direction
- lowere0
- Value
- 15.5%e0
- Comparator
- lablab monocrope0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The maize‐lablab intercrop had 15.5% lower abundance of natural enemies than the lablab monocrop”
t0“Lablab purpureus”
Claim · model-written summary
Margins yielded 300 kg ha −1 grain versus 210 kg ha −1 without margins.
- Taxon
- Lablab purpureusLablab purpureust0
- Treatment
- field margin vegetatione0
- Outcome
- grain yielde0
- Direction
- Highere0
- Value
- 300 kg ha −1e0
- Qualifier
- 210 kg ha −1e0
- Comparator
- plots without field margin vegetatione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Higher grain yield was recorded in plots with a field margin vegetation (300 kg ha −1 ) compared to plots without field margin vegetation (210 kg ha −1 )”
t0“Lablab purpureus”
Claim · model-written summary
Companion plants did not significantly affect parasitoid performance in cages.
- Taxon
- Lablab purpureusLablab purpureust0
- Treatment
- companion plante0
- Outcome
- performance of parasitoidse0
- Direction
- did not significantly affecte0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The presence of a companion plant did not significantly affect the performance of parasitoids, in the cage experiment”
t0“Lablab purpureus”
Claim · model-written summary
B. pilosa was associated with the highest aphid mummy count of 8.28.
- Taxon
- Lablab purpureusLablab purpureust0
- Treatment
- B. pilosae0
- Interactor
- aphide0pest
- Outcome
- number of mummiese0
- Direction
- higheste0
- Value
- 8.28e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In supporting aphid parasitization, B. pilosa was associated with the highest number of mummies (8.28)”
t0“Lablab purpureus”
Claim · model-written summary
T. minuta cages had the lowest mummy count of 3.44.
- Taxon
- Lablab purpureusLablab purpureust0
- Treatment
- T. minutae0
- Outcome
- number of mummiese0
- Direction
- loweste0
- Value
- 3.44e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The lowest number of mummies were observed in cages with T. minuta (3.44)”
t0“Lablab purpureus”