Abstract
Abstract Diversification of habitat has proved to be an efficient way to reduce insect pest levels in agroecosystems. Some general theories used to explain this fact, such as the natural enemies and the resource concentration hypotheses, do not always clearly apply because, in many cases, pest individuals and population response seem controlled by more specific insect‐plant interactions. In non replicated plots, we found substantially lower flea beetle densities in mixed broccoli‐ Vicia cropping systems compared to broccoli monoculture. These results were consistent with those from controlled experiments reported in the literature. To investigate if beetle behavior was related to such population reduction, the movement behavior of marked individuals of Phyllotreta cruciferae Goeze released in plots composed solely of broccoli plants and of broccoli mixed with Vicia faba or Vicia sativa plants, was followed and analyzed. The mean tenure time of beetles was longer in simple than in mixed cultures. Also, more beetles tended to fly out and leave mixed cultures compared to monoculture. This resulted in faster reduction of artificially introduced flea beetle populations in the mixed systems. Flea beetles landing on cover crop plants spent considerable time entangled in Vicia sativa branches or attempting to reach the upper part of the tall Vicia faba plants from which they could fly away. It is possible that the beetles characteristic movement on these two species of cover crops increased their risk of predation and the time and energy expended before they reached suitable host plants. Nevertheless, it seems that the detected flea beetle emigration rates were more than sufficient to account for the population trends observed.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
Mixed broccoli and Vicia systems had substantially lower flea beetle densities than broccoli monoculture.
- Taxon
- broccoli
Brassica oleracea var. italicae0 - Treatment
- mixed broccoli‐ Vicia cropping systemse0
- Interactor
- flea beetlee0pest
- Outcome
- flea beetle densitiese0
- Direction
- lowere0
- Comparator
- broccoli monoculturee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“substantially lower flea beetle densities in mixed broccoli‐ Vicia cropping systems compared to broccoli monoculture”
Claim · model-written summary
Beetle tenure was longer in simple than mixed cultures.
- Taxon
- broccoliBrassica oleracea var. italicat0
- Interactor
- beetlesColeopterae0pest
- Outcome
- mean tenure time of beetlese0
- Direction
- longere0
- Comparator
- mixed culturese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The mean tenure time of beetles was longer in simple than in mixed cultures.”
t0“broccoli”
Claim · model-written summary
More beetles tended to leave mixed cultures than monoculture by flight.
- Taxon
- broccoliBrassica oleracea var. italicat0
- Interactor
- beetlesColeopterae0pest
- Outcome
- beetles tended to fly out and leave mixed culturese0
- Direction
- moree0
- Comparator
- monoculturee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“more beetles tended to fly out and leave mixed cultures compared to monoculture”
t0“broccoli”
Claim · model-written summary
Artificially introduced flea beetle populations declined faster in mixed systems.
- Taxon
- broccoliBrassica oleracea var. italicat0
- Interactor
- flea beetlee0pest
- Outcome
- reduction of artificially introduced flea beetle populationse0
- Direction
- fastere0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“faster reduction of artificially introduced flea beetle populations in the mixed systems”
t0“broccoli”
Claim · model-written summary
On Vicia sativa, flea beetles spent considerable time entangled in branches.
- Taxon
- broccoliBrassica oleracea var. italicat0
- Second interactor
- Vicia sativa
_Vicia_sativa.jpg?width=60)
Vicia sativae0other - Outcome
- Flea beetles landing on cover crop plants spent considerable time entangled in Vicia sativa branchese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
_Vicia_sativa.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“Flea beetles landing on cover crop plants spent considerable time entangled in Vicia sativa branches”
t0“broccoli”
Claim · model-written summary
On Vicia faba, beetles attempted to reach upper plant parts before flying away.
- Taxon
- broccoliBrassica oleracea var. italicat0
- Interactor
- Vicia faba
Vicia fabae0other - Outcome
- attempting to reach the upper part of the tall Vicia faba plantse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“attempting to reach the upper part of the tall Vicia faba plants from which they could fly away”
t0“broccoli”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors propose that beetle movement on Vicia cover crops could raise predation risk and time and energy costs.
- Taxon
- broccoliBrassica oleracea var. italicat0
- Interactor
- beetlesColeopterae0pest
- Outcome
- risk of predation and the time and energy expendede0
- Qualifier
- these two species of cover cropse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the beetles characteristic movement on these two species of cover crops increased their risk of predation and the time and energy expended before they reached suitable host plants”
t0“broccoli”
Claim · model-written summary
Observed beetle emigration rates appear sufficient to explain the population trends.
- Taxon
- broccoliBrassica oleracea var. italicat0
- Interactor
- flea beetlee0pest
- Outcome
- population trends observede0
- Qualifier
- emigration ratese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the detected flea beetle emigration rates were more than sufficient to account for the population trends observed”
t0“broccoli”
The same questions in other papers
Brassica oleracea var. italica · pest · Brassica oleracea (wild cabbage)Positive and negative results
2 papers in the same direction as this paper · 1 in the opposite direction
- negative
- positive
- positive
cultivation system · pest · Brassica oleracea (wild cabbage)Positive and negative results
1 in the opposite direction
- negative
Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.