Insecticides outweigh rye cover crop in triggering secondary pest outbreaks.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Broad-spectrum insecticides are extensively used to control pests and secure crop yields. However, insecticides may have unintended effects on natural enemies (e.g., predators and parasitoid wasps) and secondary pests. Cover crops can also be used as part of integrated pest management (IPM) programs to protect natural enemies and avoid secondary pest outbreaks. Yet, some pests can use cover crops as green bridges to colonize the crop. We explored the use of rye in commercial watermelon fields, with three intensity levels employed by growers: (i) no rye, (ii) 1:3 rye-watermelon ratio and (iii) 1:1 rye-watermelon ratio. Then, we tested the combined effects of insecticide programs (conventional vs. threshold-based recommendations) and rye use (present vs. absent) at three r

SUBMITTER: Mateos-Fierro Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12618915 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature