Conservation Evidence: Evidence Data

Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Alter the timing of insecticide useNatural enemies: One controlled study from the UK reported more natural enemies when insecticides were sprayed earlier rather than later in the growing season. Pests: Two of four studies from Mozambique, the UK and the USA found fewer pests or less disease damage when insecticides were applied early rather than late. Effects on a disease-carrying pest varied with insecticide type. Two studies (one a randomised, replicated, controlled test) found no effect on pests or pest damage. Yield: Four studies (including one randomised, replicated, controlled test) from Mozambique, the Philippines, the UK and the USA measured yields. Two studies found mixed effects and one study found no effect on yield when insecticides were applied early. One study found higher yields when insecticides were applied at times of suspected crop susceptibility.Profit and costs: One controlled study from the Philippines found higher profits and similar costs when insecticides were only applied at times of suspected crop susceptibility. Crops studied were aubergine, barley, maize, pear and stringbean.Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F723https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F723Thu, 30 May 2013 12:36:53 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Incorporate parasitism rates when setting thresholds for insecticide usePest damage: One controlled study from New Zealand found using parasitism rates to inform spraying decisions resulted in acceptable levels of crop damage from pests. Effects on natural enemy populations were not monitored. The crop studied was tomato.Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F726https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F726Thu, 30 May 2013 13:19:33 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Use pesticides only when pests or crop damage reach threshold levelsNatural enemies: One randomised, replicated, controlled study from Finland found that threshold-based spraying regimes increased numbers of natural enemies in two of three years but effects lasted for as little as three weeks. Pests and disease: Two of four studies from France, Malaysia and the USA reported that pests were satisfactorily controlled. One randomised, replicated, controlled study found pest numbers were similar under threshold-based and conventional spraying regimes and one study reported that pest control was inadequate. A randomised, replicated, controlled study found mixed effects on disease severity. Crop damage: Four of five randomised, replicated, controlled studies from New Zealand, the Philippines and the USA found similar crop damage under threshold-based and conventional, preventative spraying regimes, but one study found damage increased. Another study found slightly less crop damage compared to unsprayed controls. Yield: Two of four randomised, replicated, controlled studies found similar yields under threshold-based and conventional spraying regimes. Two studies found mixed effects depending on site, year, pest stage/type or control treatment. Profit: Two of three randomised, replicated, controlled studies found similar profits using threshold-based and conventional spraying regimes. One study found effects varied between sites and years. Costs: Nine studies found fewer pesticide applications were needed and three studies found or predicted lower production costs. Crops studied were barley, broccoli, cabbages, cauliflower, celery, cocoa, cotton, grape, peanut, potato, rice, tomato and wheat.Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F750https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F750Wed, 31 Jul 2013 12:05:51 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Delay herbicide useNatural enemies: Two randomised, replicated, controlled trials from Australia and Denmark found more natural enemies when herbicide treatments were delayed. One of the studies found some but not all natural enemy groups benefited and fewer groups benefitted early in the season. Weeds: One randomised, replicated, controlled study found more weeds when herbicide treatments were delayed. Insect pests and damage: One of two randomised, replicated, controlled studies from Canada and Denmark found more insect pests, but only for some pest groups, and one study found fewer pests in one of two experiments and for one of two crop varieties. One study found lower crop damage in some but not all varieties and study years. Yield: One randomised, replicated, controlled study found lower yields and one study found no effect. Crops studied were beet and oilseed.Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F774https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F774Tue, 20 Aug 2013 16:05:25 +0100