Can Flowering Greencover Crops Promote Biological Control in German Vineyards?

ABSTRACT: Greencover crops are widely recommended to provide predators and parasitoids with floral resources for improved pest control. We studied parasitism and predation of European grapevine moth (Lobesia botrana) eggs and pupae as well as predatory mite abundances in an experimental vineyard with either one or two sowings of greencover crops compared to spontaneous vegetation. The co-occurrence between greencover flowering time and parasitoid activity differed greatly between the two study years. Parasitism was much higher when flowering and parasitoid activity coincided. While egg predation was enhanced by greencover crops, there were no significant benefits of greencover crops on parasitism of L. botrana eggs or pupae. Predatory mites did not show an as strong increase on grapevines in greenco

SUBMITTER: Hoffmann C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5746804 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature