Tillage affects the activity‐density, absolute density, and feeding damage of the pea leaf weevil in spring pea

Abstract

Conversion from conventional‐tillage (CT) to no‐tillage (NT) agriculture can affect pests and beneficial organisms in various ways. NT has been shown to reduce the relative abundance and feeding damage of pea leaf weevil (PLW), Sitona lineatus L. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in spring pea, especially during the early‐season colonization period in the Palouse region of northwest Idaho. Pitfall traps were used to quantify tillage effects on activity‐density of PLW in field experiments conducted during 2001 and 2002. As capture rate of pitfall traps for PLW might be influenced by effects of tillage treatment, two mark‐recapture studies were employed to compare trapping rates in NT and CT spring pea during 2003. Also in 2003, direct sampling was used to estimate PLW densities during the colonization period, and to assess PLW feeding damage on pea. PLW activity‐density was significantly lower in NT relative to CT during the early colonization period (May) of 2001 and 2002, and during the late colonization period (June) of 2002. Activity‐density was not different between treatments during the early emergence (July) or late emergence (August) periods in either year of the study. Trap capture rates did not differ between tillage systems in the mark‐recapture studies, suggesting that pitfall trapping provided unbiased estimates of PLW relative abundances. PLW absolute densities and feeding damage were significantly lower in NT than in CT. These results indicate that NT provides a pest suppression benefit in spring pea.

Influence of no‐tillage practices and later planting date on the pea leaf weevil, Sitona lineatus, in pea, Pisum sativum

“…For each sample date, trap means were expressed as number of pea leaf weevils per trap per plot. A previous mark‐release‐recapture study using pitfall traps found that pea leaf weevil recapture rates were similar in conventional‐tillage and no‐tillage systems, indicating that cereal residue did not bias this sampling method (Hatten et al., ).…”

“…Our previous research demonstrated that peas grown with conventional‐tillage practices had significantly greater initial adult pea leaf weevil colonization compared to peas in no‐tillage systems in both research station (Hanavan et al., ; Hatten et al., ) and commercial field experiments (Hanavan & Bosque‐Pérez, ), indicating factors related to tillage influence pea leaf weevil colonization. Greater levels of adult pea leaf weevil colonization in pea fields resulted in more feeding on leaves and root nodules, subsequently increasing overall crop damage (Hanavan et al., ).…”

Effects of tillage practices on pea leaf weevil (Sitona lineatus L., Coleoptera: Curculionidae) biology and crop damage: A farm-scale study in the US Pacific Northwest

“…Trap means were expressed as pea leaf weevil per trap per field. Pitfall trapping provides a relative measure of activity-density, because trapping rates depend upon both density and activity of organisms (Hatten et al ., 2010). Pea leaf weevil activity-density was sufficient to meet our study objective to compare relative densities of these insects under the two tillage regimes.…”

“…Pea leaf weevil is capable of completing its life cycle on leguminous hosts in non-agricultural systems (Hanavan et al, 2008b), but in the Palouse agricultural crops such as pea are their main host (Schotzko & O'Keeffe, 1986). Previous research conducted in on-station research plots of pea in Idaho demonstrated that, compared to no-tillage plots, conventional-tillage plots had increased aerial and ground adult pea leaf weevil colonization, crop feeding damage and adult emergence (Hanavan et al, 2008a(Hanavan et al, , 2010Hatten et al, 2010). Pea is an important rotational crop in the Palouse; however, the influence of tillage regime on pea leaf weevil population densities and crop damage has not been examined in commercial pea fields in this region.…”

The effects of conventional and organic cropping systems on food and reproductive success of Song Sparrows in eastern Ontario farmland

“…However, some studies show either no effect of tillage (Carcamo et al, 1995, Baguette and Hance, 1997, Huusel-Veistola, 1998, or a positive effect of tillage (Carcamo 1995, Whalen et al, 2007, and results often vary by taxon (Tonhasca, 1993, Baguette and Hance, 1997, Shearin et al, 2007, Thorbeck and Bilde, 2004. Results for pests and invertebrates living in foliage are even more variable (Stinner et al, 1988, Stinner and House, 1990, Tonhasca, 1993, Costamagn and Landis, 2006, Whalen et al, 2007, Hatten et al, 2010. The negative effect of increased tillage on at least some invertebrate taxa might explain some of the variability in invertebrate response to organic field management.…”