Apply insecticide to protect seedlings from invertebrates

Overall effectiveness category Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)
Number of studies: 1
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How is the evidence assessed?

Effectiveness

70%
Certainty

13%
Harms

0%

Calculating overall effectiveness category

Background information and definitions

Insecticides can be used to eliminate invertebrate herbivores and to help the establishment of planted trees.

Study locations

Key messages

One randomized, replicated, controlled study in the USA found that applying insecticide increased tree seedling emergence and survival.

About key messages

Key messages provide a descriptive index to studies we have found that test this intervention.

Studies are not directly comparable or of equal value. When making decisions based on this evidence, you should consider factors such as study size, study design, reported metrics and relevance of the study to your situation, rather than simply counting the number of studies that support a particular interpretation.

Supporting evidence from individual studies

A randomized, replicated, controlled study in 1989–1990 in a former arable field, in New Jersey, USA (Facelli 1994) found that using insecticides increased the number of emerging tree of heaven Ailanthus altissima seedlings and seedling survival. Plots treated with insecticide had greater seedling emergence (approx. 13 seedlings/plot) than untreated plots (approx. 9 seedlings/plot). Additionally, seedling mortality was lower in plots treated with insecticide (approx. 3 %) than in untreated plots (approx. 7%). Sixteen plots (0.8 × 1 m) were treated with Carbaril dust 5%, dosed at 5 g active ingredient/m². The other 16 plots were not treated with insecticide. In all plots, 20 seeds had been planted to ensure sufficient regeneration.
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Facelli J. (1994) Multiple indirect effects of plant litter affect the establishment of woody seedlings in old fields. Ecology, 75, 1727-1735.

Please cite as:

Agra, H., Schowanek, S., Carmel, Y., Smith, R.K. & Ne’eman, G. (2020) Forest Conservation. Pages 323-366 in: W.J. Sutherland, L.V. Dicks, S.O. Petrovan & R.K. Smith (eds) What Works in Conservation 2020. Open Book Publishers, Cambridge, UK.

Where has this evidence come from?

List of journals searched by synopsis

All the journals searched for all synopses

This Action forms part of the Action Synopsis:

Forest Conservation

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Use prescribed fire after tree planting Action Link	Trade-off between benefit and harms	4	Synopsis Link
Use tree guards or shelters to protect planted trees Action Link	Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)	2	Synopsis Link
Plant a mixture of tree species to enhance the survival and growth of planted trees Action Link	No evidence found (no assessment)	0	Synopsis Link