alana danne - the role of canopy density and ground-cover vegetation on pest and beneficial insects
DESCRIPTION
2014 Australian Macadamia Society 40th Anniversary Industry ConferenceTRANSCRIPT
The role of canopy density and ground-cover vegetation on pest
and beneficial insects
Prepared by: Alana Danne
October 2014
Background
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Canopy management
closed (traditional) vs. open (encouraged)
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Fruitspotting bug damage
Premature nut drop (Sep/Oct-Dec)
Entry point for disease
Overall reduction in yield
Methods
Study sites
Two organic
macadamia orchards
in northern NSW
Common varieties,
similar tree age,
similar tree spacing,
similar ground cover
vegetation
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Both with land aspect that produced
‘light’ and ‘dark’ blocks
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Invertebrates were sampled once a month in ‘light’ and ‘dark’ blocks over summer 2011/2012 at two sites
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• Nut production assessed from 72 trees in ‘light’ and ‘dark’ blocks at two sites
Fallen nut counted each month from Nov 2012 -June 2013
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Sampled fallen nut for fruitspotting bug damage from 72 trees in ‘light’ and ‘dark’ blocks each
month from Nov 2012 - Jun 2013
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Levels of predation in ‘light’ and ‘dark’ blocks assessed: sentinel fruitspotting bug eggs
attached to leaves.
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Questions?
How do closed canopy orchards with no ground-cover vegetation vs. open canopy orchards with flowering ground-cover vegetation affect:
1. Abundances of pest and beneficial invertebrates?
2. Nut production?
3. Levels of fruitspotting bug damage?
4. Predation of sentinel fruitspotting bug eggs?
Results
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0"
20"
40"
60"
80"
100"
120"
140"
160"
total"beneficials"
parasitoids" spiders" ants"
0"
1"
2"
3"
4"
5"
6"
total"pests" other"lepidoptera"
lace"bugs" leafminers"
0"
5"
10"
15"
20"
25"
30"
total"beneficials"
parasitoids" spiders" brown"lacewings"
0"
5"
10"
15"
20"
25"
30"
total"pests" lace"bugs" leafminers"
Meannumbercollectedpersite(±SE)
mid-rowcanopy
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Nut yieldDark
Light
Nov - Feb
48%
52%
Mar - Jun
32%
68%
Nov – Jun
41%
59%
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Fruitspotting bug nut damage
0"
0.1"
0.2"
0.3"
0.4"
0.5"
0.6"
Dark" Light"
0"
0.1"
0.2"
0.3"
0.4"
0.5"
0.6"
Dark" Light"
Nov-Feb Mar-Jun
Meanproporonofnut
damagewhendamageis
presentonatree(±SE)
ab
ab
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Predation of fruitspotting bug eggs
Meanproporonofeggs
predatedupon(±SE)
0"
0.02"
0.04"
0.06"
0.08"
0.1"
0.12"
0.14"
0.16"
Dark" Light"
aa
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Conclusions
Open canopy orchards with flowering mid-row ground-cover:
• harbour a higher abundance of beneficial invertebrates, and a lower number of pest invertebrates, than ‘dark’ orchards
• increased nut production
• had lower levels of fruitspotting bug damage
• did not results in higher levels of fruitspotting bug egg predation (variable)
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Acknowledgements
Supervisors:Mike Furlong, Margie Mayfield, Nancy Schellhorn, Ruth Huwer
Funding:Australian Macadamia Society, Avocados Australia, Horticulture Australia Ltd.
Farmers at both field sites
Volunteers who helped with field work and invertebrate identification