Effects of Winter Cover Crops on Rice Pests, Natural Enemies, and Grain Yield in a Rice Rotation System

Abstract

Rotations that include winter cover crops are widely used in agricultural systems and can provide numerous agroecological and economic benefits. However, the effects of winter cover crops on arthropod diversity, specifically rice pests and related natural enemies in rice rotation systems, are still largely unknown. We compared the effects of three winter cover crops, rapeseed, Brassica napus L. (Brassicales: Brassicaceae), Chinese milkvetch, Astragalus sinicus L. (Fabales: Fabaceae), and garlic, Allium sativum L. (Asparagales: Amaryllidaceae), on arthropods species diversity and evenness, densities of populations of major rice pests and major natural enemies, and grain yield in an experimental double cropping rotational rice field in Jiangxi Province, China. We did not observe any effects of cover crops on arthropod species diversity and evenness. The presence of prior cover crops also had no effect on the number of plants infested by the two major rice pests, Chilo suppressalis Walker (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) and Cnaphalocrocis medinalis (Guenée) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). Our study did not show any effects of rapeseed and Chinese milkvetch on grain yield. However, grain yield was increased in the garlic treatment. Our results suggest that although the winter cover crops we tested in our study do not affect the number of rice plants infected by major rice pests, they do not negatively affect the arthropod community and grain yields in rice rotation systems. Therefore, planting of winter cover crops may increase agricultural land utilization and have an overall economic benefit in rice rotational systems.

Bioaccumulation of Cadmium Affects Development, Mating Behavior, and Fecundity in the Asian Corn Borer, Ostrinia furnacalis

“…Pupae were sexed based on the morphology of the genital pore and oviposition opening of the female and kept separate before eclosion. Male and female moths were maintained separately in 50 × 50 × 50 cm screened cages housed and fed 10% sucrose water solution, as done previously [35].…”

DREB1 and DREB2 Genes in Garlic (Allium sativum L.): Genome-Wide Identification, Characterization, and Stress Response

“…The A. sativum bulbs and green parts are used as spices and as traditional remedies for various diseases because of their anticarcinogenic, antioxidant, antidiabetic, renoprotective, antiatherosclerotic, antibacterial, antifungal, and antihypertensive properties [4]. In addition, garlic and other Allium plants are in demand for intercropping and crop rotation as they improve soil quality and reduce soil fungal communities, including Fusarium [5][6][7][8][9]. The versatile use of Allium spp.…”

Effect of Cover Crop Type and Application Rate on Soil Nitrogen Mineralization and Availability in Organic Rice Production

“…Despite being an ideal N strategy for organic farming, that currently relies heavily on natural soil amendments (e.g., manure) instead of cover crops, one big challenge in adopting the cover crop approach is accurately predicting when the nitrogen in cover crops will become available to the subsequent cash crops. Several studies reported that the incorporation of winter cover crops increased rice yield 5-10% [16][17][18]. However, some studies reported no statistically significant difference in rice grain yield between cover crop and non-cover crop treatments [19,20].…”