Response of planthoppers to novel margin management in arable systems
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Published source details
Ramsay A.J., Potts S.G., Westbury D.B., Woodcock B.A., Tscheulin T.R., Harris S.J. & Brown V.K. (2007) Response of planthoppers to novel margin management in arable systems. Aspects of Applied Biology, 81, 47-52.
Published source details Ramsay A.J., Potts S.G., Westbury D.B., Woodcock B.A., Tscheulin T.R., Harris S.J. & Brown V.K. (2007) Response of planthoppers to novel margin management in arable systems. Aspects of Applied Biology, 81, 47-52.
Actions
This study is summarised as evidence for the following.
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Plant grass buffer strips/margins around arable or pasture fields Action Link |
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Plant nectar flower mixture/wildflower strips Action Link |
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Plant grass buffer strips/margins around arable or pasture fields
A randomized, replicated, controlled trial from 2002 to 2006 in eastern England, UK (Ramsay et al. 2007) (same study as Henderson et al. 2007, Pywell et al. 2007) found that sown grass margins had a greater abundance of planthoppers (Auchenorrhyncha) than margins sown with a grass and wildflower mix. Grass-only margins had 30-70 planthoppers/plot on average (depending on management), while other margins had 25-45 planthoppers/plot. There were fewer planthoppers in disturbed (scarified) plots (20-30 planthoppers/plot on average, for all seed mix treatments) than in those cut or treated with grass-specific herbicide in spring (35-70 planthoppers/plot on average). Field margin plots (6 x 30 m) were established in 2000-2001 using one of three seed mixes: Countryside Stewardship mix (seven grass species, sown at 20 kg/ha), tussock grass mix (seven grass species, 11 wildflowers, sown at 35 kg/ha) and a mixture of grasses and wildflowers designed for pollinating insects (four grass species, 16-20 wildflowers, sown at 35 kg/ha). The margins were managed in spring from 2003 to 2005 with one of three treatments: cut to 15 cm, soil disturbed by scarification until 60% of the area was bare ground, treated with grass-specific herbicide in spring at half the recommended rate. There were five replicates of each treatment combination at three farms. Planthoppers were sampled in June and September 2003 and 2004 by suction sampling (seventy-five 10 second sucks/plot in total, sampled from 40.5 m2/plot).
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Plant nectar flower mixture/wildflower strips
A randomized, replicated, controlled trial from 2002 to 2006 in eastern England (Ramsay et al. 2007) (same study as Henderson et al. 2007, Pywell et al. 2007) found that field margins sown with a flower mix designed for pollinating insects supported fewer planthoppers (Auchenorrhyncha) than those sown with a grass-only seed mixture. Flower-rich sown margins had 25-40 planthoppers/plot on average (depending on management), while grass-only margins had 30-70 planthoppers/plot. Field margin plots (6 x 30 m) were established in 2000-2001 using one of three seed mixes: Countryside Stewardship mix (7 grass species, sown at 20 kg/ha), tussock grass mix (7 grass, 11 wildflower species, sown at 35 kg/ha) and a mixture of grasses and wildflowers designed for pollinating insects (4 grass species, 16-20 wildflowers, sown at 35 kg/ha). The margins were managed in spring from 2003 to 2005 with one of three treatments: cut to 15 cm, soil disturbed by scarification until 60% of the area was bare ground, treated with grass-specific herbicide in spring at half the recommended rate. There were five replicates of each treatment combination on three farms.
