Selection of indicator organisms for functional agrobiodiversityfunctional agrobiodiversity

at the crop field level in Japan

1. Outline of the project; Selection of functional biodiversity p j yindicators and development of the assessment methods

2. Selected candidate indicators2. Selected candidate indicators

3. Utilization of indicators

Fumio Ihara1 Ken-Ichiro Honda2 and Ishizue Adachi1Fumio Ihara , Ken Ichiro Honda , and Ishizue Adachi1National Institute of Fruit Tree Science,National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO),2National Institute of Vegetable and Tea Science, NARO

A background of stating the project

＋ Biodiversity preservation

Influence of agriculture

BiodiversityAgriculture＋ Biodiversity preservation

through irrigated paddies etc.

－ Improper use of pesticides and fertilizers） ・Native organisms consists of

Rural area is large parts in Japan

and fertilizers）more than 200 million spp.

・Sustainable use and preservation of biodiversity is requiredAchieves sustainable Rural area is large parts in Japan

Agricultural area occupy an important position in th t l l d

required.agriculture by using natural enemies of pests and other methods

Functional Biodiversity (FBD) can be used as

natural enemies of pests

the natural land.

How to evaluate the agricultural practices?

Quantitative assessment methods are required in monsoon Asia

S l ti f F ti l Bi di it I di t d

Structure and goal of the projectSelection of Functional Biodiversity Indicators and

Development of Assessment Methods

6 regions １ Selection of indicators ２ Development of simplified in Japan

(1) field unit(orchard, vegetable field,tea field soy been field)

for the evaluation monitoring methods(2) Landscape unit(mainly paddy area)

tea field, soy been field)

LowlandIntermediate

Upland

Development of sex pheromones of the indicators etc.・・

Practical assessment Understanding and forecasting Easy-to-understand

Lowland

Practical assessment methods

g gbiodiversity in Japan

Easy to understand indicators

Proposing manuals for various regions

Forecast for conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity

Measuring the spread of environment- friendly agriculture, IPM, etc y

gAchieve a balance between productivity and biodiversity

for development of sustainable agriculture

g , ,

Important notices for developing FBD indicators１ Characteristics of biodiversity in Japan(1) Localization

・The islands of Japan extend over a long distance in a・The islands of Japan extend over a long distance in a north–south direction and are situated within various climaticzones. The country has a wide range of fauna and flora.

(2) Various landscape and land use; in 40% rural areas( ) p ;・Uplands, plains, seashores etc. ・Small mosaic distribution of paddies,

upland-fields, forestry, rivers , ponds, etc.

Paddy field in an upland

Paddy field in a plain (alluvial fan)

Paddy field along a bigger river

(1) Insect abundance ２ Characteristics of insects inhabitancy( )・It depends on various crops and agricultural methods (eg. Intensive or extensive, input of

pesticides, chemicals)(2) Migration

・ Indicators should be developed in each region and landscape

・Several insects migrate in a wider area for overwinter , feeding ,and reproduction.

・ Indicators should be developed in each region and landscape・ Indicators should be developed at field and landscape units,

respectively

Locations of study for indicators development・ Since The islands of Japan

Nansei islands/ Okinawa

pextend over a long distancein a north–south direction,and are situated withinario s climatic ones e

Tohoku / Hokkaido

various climatic zones weestablished 8 regions toselect indicators for eachregion.

Chugoku

Chubu

Kinki

g

・ Experimental surveys havebeen carried out at totally274 sites where cover

Kanto

Kyushu ShikokuAppleCitrusPeach

CabbageEgg plant

Landscape level

274 sites, where covermajor districts of each crops.

・Totally approximately 6,576

TeaLeekSoybean

Pear

Crop field levelCrop field level Landscape levelLandscape level

y pp y ,surveys have been done inthe study, with twice permonth on average at eachsite This is the first

comparison comparison

site. This is the firstresearch project using sucha large scale of the surveys

Conventional farmEnvironment-friendly farm

Conventional farmEnvironment-friendly farm

B i l

Rules and plan of the research projectBasic rules

1. GoalDevelopment of functional biodiversity indicators and of assessment methods for evaluating environmental-friendly agricultural practices

2. Candidate indicators （Objective organisms）・Quantitatively measurable・Quantitatively measurable・Beneficial for agricultural production, such as native natural enemies.・Organisms indirectly reflect the presence of organisms that are beneficial for agricultural production.

（ex. Chironomidae→food of spiders, Attractive plants→Den of Orius spp.）・Easy to understand species by instructors and farmers.

PlPlans1. The first 2 years (2008-2009)

・Selection of indicator candidates involving with good agricultural practices at field and l d it ti llandscape units, respectively

2. The second 3 years (2010-2012)・Determination of indicators among candidates which could be actually understood by

instructors and farmers.・Making guideline on evaluation methods of the indicators (how to monitor and conserve

indicators)

Locations of the six study regions and nine kind of crops field surveyed

Northern JapanNorthern Japan

BSA

A

Kyushu/OkinawaChubu

AP R

S

B R

PC CitrusA A l

B CabbageE E l t

Kyushu/OkinawaChugoku/Shikoku

CP R

T E

GS

G GE

E

B

BT

R

C CA AppleP PeachR PearT T

E EggplantG Green onionS Soybean

KantoT TeaKinki

comparison

The surveys were conducted in the country’s

j d ti i f

Conventional farm

p

Environment-friendly farm

major production regions for each crop type.

Basic surveying methods

Pitfall trap Yellow sticky trapPitfall trap Yellow sticky trap

Ground beetles, Spiders, etc

For collecting ground–dwelling arthropods For capturing flying and plant wandering arthropods

Parasitoid wasps, Ladybeetles, etc

Beating and Sweeping Visually observation

Parasitoid wasps, Ladybeetles, etc

For collecting arthropods on plants or Counting arthropods on the plant

g p psurrounding the fields

Spiders, Hovering flies, etcSpiders with web, Ladybeetles, parasitoid wasps, etc

Example of the study

Env.-friendly field. Conventional field

1) ex. Green onion field

e tra

p

Earwigs

y

num

ber/

pit h

ole

・Reduction of chemical applicationSurrounded with banker plant sorgum

Tota

l n

Environ.-friendly

Conventional

・Surrounded with banker plant, sorgum・Wheat was planted between ridges

pit hole trap

Spiders Shield bugs（not harmful）

it ho

le tr

ap

pit h

ole

trap

Spiders g （ ）

Tota

l num

ber/

p

Tota

l num

ber/

p

TT

Environ.-friendly

ConventionalConventionalEnviron.-friendly

Procedure for selecting indicator organisms

Creating a list of organisms in all study areas

More than two million individuals were captured in all the study areas.

First screeningS l ti i i ifi tl

A total of 423 organisms were Selecting organisms significantly more abundant in environment-friendly fields than in the conventional fields using

listed as potential indicators including several taxonomic levels (e.g., species, genera, family)statistical tests

Second screening

family).

Second screening Considering the suitability of each organism as indicators (e.g., benefit for agriculture and commonness in each

Nationwide- and regional-common organisms were selected as candidate indicators.

agriculture and commonness in each habitat)

Candidate indicators

Nationwide-common i di t ground-dwelling beetles, spiders

Candidate indicators

indicators g g , p

Tetragnatha spp.［Tetragnatha caudicula］

wandering spider ［Pardosa pseudoannulata］

ground-dwelling beetle （carabid）［Chlaenius micans］

南西諸島 沖縄

北日本ChubuParasitoid wasps Ants

Northern JapanParasitoid wasps

Regional-common indicatorsLady beetle

島・沖縄Parasitoid wasps, Ants, Predatory mites

Chugoku/ShikokuP i id A

Parasitoid wasps, Predatory lady beetles, Predatory stinkbugs, Hoverflies

中国

中部

近畿

Parasitoid wasps, AntsKanto

Parasitoid wasps, Predatory lady beetles, Staphylinidbeetles

関東九州

四国

Kinkicitrus cabbagepaddy area (landscape scale)

Parasitoid waspKinki

Parasitoid wasps, Predatory stinkbugs, Staphylinidbeetles, Hoverflies

KyushuPredatory stinkbugs

tea

applepeach

egg plantgreen onionsoybeanpear

From the third year of our project

1. Confirming whether the selected candidate organisms are suitable indicator organismsorganisms are suitable indicator organisms

2. Developing simple and efficient techniques to survey indicator organisms and standard methodssurvey indicator organisms and standard methods to evaluate the accomplishment of environment-friendly agriculture using the indicator organismsfriendly agriculture using the indicator organisms

Establishment of the manual for evaluating environment-friendly agriculture usingenvironment-friendly agriculture using indicator organisms

Utilization of indicators

For widely spreading environment-friendly agriculture in Japan, indicators should be used.

1. The population level of indicators could be used to assess th i t l i t f i t f i dl f ithe environmental impact of environment friendly farmingsuch as IPM practice. Famers could check the abundance of indicators in their fields and adjust their farmingof indicators in their fields and adjust their farming accordingly.

2. The indicators are natural enemies that control crop pests. When indicators are abundant, farmers can leave pest control to the natural enemies.

3 The indicators could be incorporated into the Pest3．The indicators could be incorporated into the Pest Forecasting Program, a national program of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries.Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries.

IPM practiceIndicators could be applied in IPM practice

【P ti 】 【Ob ti 】 【I t ti 】

Excess acceptable pest level

p

【Prevention】・Remove diseased or

injured plants・Monitoring insects,

disease, weeds

【Observation】 【Intervantion】・Control with various

methods such as ・Prevent spreading

disease・Use natural enemies

,・ The Pest Forecasting

Programbiological control, physiological control, chemical control, etc.

i di l fi ld

③

planting windbreaks spraying

periodical field observation②

spraying mineral oil

Abundances of indicators could be reflected for adjustment of better IPM farming ①

Environment-friendly farming would be distributed widely