Effects of Grassland Habitat and Plant Nutrients on Soybean Aphid and Natural Enemy Populations

Schmidt, Nicholas P.; O’Neal, Matthew E.; Moore, Leon

doi:10.1603/en10269

Cited by 15 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 48 publications

(61 reference statements)

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“…A caveat is that aphids may be more sensitive to competition than soybeans are. The relationships between nutrient stress and soybean aphid pressure have been investigated but are subtle (Myers et al 2005, Myers and Gratton 2006, Walter and DiFonzo 2007, Noma et al 2010, Schmidt et al 2011 to the point where this hypothesis is difÞcult to measure given current knowledge.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Response of Soybean Insects to an Autumn-Seeded Rye Cover Crop

et al. 2012

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Response of Soybean Insects to an Autumn-Seeded Rye Cover Crop

et al. 2012

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“…To conserve beneÞcial insects with buffers by carefully reintroducing native ßowering plants will require considering their density at the farm and landscape scale. For example, in a landscape-scale study conducted in the same eco-region as our research site, attractive forb species similar to those in the MSU Best Bet buffer treatment were present in a large (Ͼ1,619 ha) reconstructed prairie embedded in cropland composed of a cornÐsoybean rotation (Schmidt et al 2011). Despite the proximity of prairies to cultivated Þelds, no increase in natural enemy abundance or diversity was observed in adjacent crops.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 88%

Quality Over Quantity: Buffer Strips Can be Improved With Select Native Plant Species

2014

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Native plants attractive to beneficial insects may improve the value of buffer strips by increasing biodiversity and enhancing the delivery of insect-derived ecosystem services. In a 2-yr field experiment, we measured the response of insect communities across nine buffers that varied in plant diversity. We constructed buffers with plants commonly found in buffers of USDA-certified organic farms in Iowa (typically a single species), recommended for prairie reconstruction, or recommended for attracting beneficial insects. We hypothesized that the diversity and abundance of beneficial insects will be 1) greatest in buffers composed of diverse plant communities with continuous availability of floral resources, 2) intermediate in buffers with reduced species richness and availability of floral resources, and 3) lowest in buffers composed of a single species. We observed a significant positive relationship between the diversity and abundance of beneficial insects with plant community diversity and the number of flowers. More beneficial insects were collected in buffers composed of species selected for their attractiveness to beneficial insects than a community recommended for prairie restoration. These differences suggest 1) plant communities that dominate existing buffers are not optimal for attracting beneficial insects, 2) adding flowering perennial species could improve buffers as habitat for beneficial insects, 3) buffers can be optimized by intentionally combining the most attractive native species even at modest levels of plant diversity, and 4) plant communities recommended for prairie reconstruction may not contain the optimal species or density of the most attractive species necessary to support beneficial insects from multiple guilds.

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“…A growing body of literature suggests that the level of natural enemy induced mortality of the soybean aphid may be diminishing due to agricultural practices (Landis et al 2008, Ohnesorg et al 2009, Schmidt et al 2010. Olson et al (2008) reported that the most commonly used insecticides for control of soybean aphids in the Midwest included Asana, Lorsban, Mustang, and Warrior; all are considered broad-spectrum in nature and reduce natural enemy populations in addition to aphids (Ohnesorg et al 2009).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

What Is the Economic Threshold of Soybean Aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in Enemy-Free Space?

McCarville¹,

Kanobe²,

MacIntosh³

et al. 2011

jnl. econ. entom.

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Soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is a serious pest of soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr., in the North Central United States. Current management recommendations rely on the application of insecticides based on an economic threshold (ET) of 250 aphids per plant. Natural enemies are important in slowing the increase of aphid populations and can prevent them from reaching levels that can cause economic losses. However, biological control of A. glycines is inconsistent and can be affected negatively by the intensity of agricultural activity. We measured the impact of a natural-enemy-free environment on the capacity of the current ET to limit yield loss. In 2008 and 2009, caged microplots were assigned to one of three treatments: plants kept aphid-free (referred to as the control), plants that experienced a population of 250 aphids per plant (integrated pest management [IPM]), and plants that experienced unlimited aphid population growth (unlimited). The population growth rate of aphids in the unlimited treatment for the 10 d after the application of insecticides to the IPM treatment was calculated using linear regression. The linear equation was solved to determine the mean number of days between the ET and the EIL for an aphid population in absence of predators. The number of days was determined to be 6.97 ± 1.11 d. The 2-yr average yield for the IPM treatment was 99.93% of the control treatment. Our study suggests the current soybean aphid ET of 250 aphids per plant can effectively protect yield even if the impact of natural enemies is reduced. KeywordsAphis glycines, soybean, insecticide, economic threshold Disciplines Agriculture | Entomology CommentsThis article is from Journal of Economic Entomology, 104 (3) ABSTRACT Soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is a serious pest of soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr., in the North Central United States. Current management recommendations rely on the application of insecticides based on an economic threshold (ET) of 250 aphids per plant. Natural enemies are important in slowing the increase of aphid populations and can prevent them from reaching levels that can cause economic losses. However, biological control of A. glycines is inconsistent and can be affected negatively by the intensity of agricultural activity. We measured the impact of a natural-enemyÐfree environment on the capacity of the current ET to limit yield loss. In 2008 and 2009, caged microplots were assigned to one of three treatments: plants kept aphid-free (referred to as the control), plants that experienced a population of 250 aphids per plant (integrated pest management [IPM]), and plants that experienced unlimited aphid population growth (unlimited). The population growth rate of aphids in the unlimited treatment for the 10 d after the application of insecticides to the IPM treatment was calculated using linear regression. The linear equation was solved to determine the mean number of days between the ET and the EIL for an aphid populatio...

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Effects of Grassland Habitat and Plant Nutrients on Soybean Aphid and Natural Enemy Populations

Cited by 15 publications

References 48 publications

Response of Soybean Insects to an Autumn-Seeded Rye Cover Crop

Response of Soybean Insects to an Autumn-Seeded Rye Cover Crop

Quality Over Quantity: Buffer Strips Can be Improved With Select Native Plant Species

What Is the Economic Threshold of Soybean Aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in Enemy-Free Space?

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