Study

Impact of agricultural management on carabid communities and weed seed predation

  • Published source details Menalled F.D., Smith R.G., Dauer J.T. & Fox T.B. (2007) Impact of agricultural management on carabid communities and weed seed predation. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 118, 49-54.

Actions

This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

Action Category

Convert to organic farming

Action Link
Natural Pest Control
  1. Convert to organic farming

    A randomised, replicated, controlled study in Michigan, USA (Menalled et al. 2007) found that removal of weed seeds by ground beetles (Carabidae) was similar in organic (averaging 9-45% seeds predated/5 days) and conventional (13-40%) plots of soybean Glycine max from mid-August to early September 2000. In early August, 83-84% of weed seeds were predated in organic plots compared with 55-56% in conventional plots. Fewer ground beetles (of all types) were found on the soil surface in organic (57 captures/sampling date on average, 863 individuals in total) than in conventional plots (144 captures on average, 342 individuals in total), but seed predators in particular were similarly abundant between management regimes (averaging 6.2 captures in each).  Organic plots received no external chemical input and conventional controls received applications of fertilizer and herbicide. Each regime was tested in 1 ha plots replicated six times. Ground beetles were sampled using five pitfall traps/plot. Seed predation was assessed by monitoring the removal of weed seeds placed artificially on the soil surface for 5 days. Seeds from common lambsquarters Chenopodium album or fall panicum Panicum dichotomiflorum were placed on a total of 120 pads for each management regime.

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