Abstract
Italian vineyards are large-scale monocultures characterized by high pesticide pressure and removal of ecologically valuable structures. In the resulting highly disturbed and simplified systems, the insurgence of non-native species outbreaks can easier occur. In this framework, the preservation of semi-natural habitats and the adoption of more sustainable vineyard management practices are of particular importance in vineyard agro-ecosystems. In this thesis, the influence of vineyard management and landscape complexity on leafhopper species was investigated. Results shown that investigated factors can affect the leafhopper population densities and their natural control, and therefore they should be considered when pest control strategies are planned on a large scale. Moreover, some habitat manipulation practices, such as the management of spontaneous groundcover and the use of green manure, could be useful strategies to increase and/or enhance beneficial arthropods by providing fundamental sources for the survival and reproduction of natural enemies. The presence of non-mowed spontaneous grass in vineyards inter-rows favoured the abundance of natural enemies but also of grapevine leafhoppers, especially in organic. In particular, non-mowed vegetation could make harder the control of Scaphoideus titanus populations in organic vineyards, and its adoption should be carefully evaluated when the leafhopper occurs in the vineyards. Allowing the green manure to flowering for a prolonged period instead of mowing it early, as traditionally done by the growers, can favour a higher presence and abundance of beneficial arthropods while not influenced phytophagous densities. The timing of mowing must be accurate programmed to avoid the dispersal on leafhopper vectors. Investigations on the phenology of E. vulnerata suggest that the non-native pest can develop three generations per years in the new invaded area, and the presence of rural buildings and alternative hosts at vineyard margins favoured it overwintering and spreading into the vineyards. The impact of natural enemies on pest populations appeared to be limited to egg parasitism by Hymenoptera Mymaridae. A new approach aimed at promoting the impact of egg parasitoids and predators requires to be developed. In this context, the effectiveness of two generalist predators in controlling the leafhopper populations were tested both in laboratory and field conditions. Promising results obtained in laboratory trials suggested to release predators in vineyard, but their release did not give satisfactory results, except in only one trial in which the release of Orius majusculus significantly reduced the leafhopper numbers, suggesting to implement release techniques, densities and timing to improve the impact of anthocorids on grape leafhoppers. The design of modern viticultural systems should integrate management practices with lower environmental impact with ecological compensation measures to increase and enhance biodiversity in the vineyard agro-ecosystems. Habitat management practices can contribute to enhance biodiversity but in extremely simplified context, the only presence of temporary vegetation appears not enough to create a more pest-stable agro-ecosystem. Since the deployment of pesticides can favouring the insurgence of pest outbreaks and limited the successful implementation of biological control, more sustainable biological control strategies should be implemented to control pest population densities, such as for E. vulnerata in vineyards of North-eastern Italy.
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Claims 11
Claim · model-written summary
Non-mowed grass increased natural enemy abundance in vineyard inter-rows.
- Treatment
- non-mowed spontaneous grasse0
- Outcome
- abundance of natural enemiese0
- Direction
- favourede0
- Setting
- vineyards inter-rowse0
VitisNot reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“non-mowed spontaneous grass in vineyards inter-rows favoured the abundance of natural enemies”
t0“vineyard”
e1“non-mowed spontaneous grass in vineyards inter-rows favoured the abundance of natural enemies but also of grapevine leafhoppers, especially in organic”
Claim · model-written summary
Non-mowed grass also favored grapevine leafhopper abundance, especially in organic vineyards.
- Treatment
- non-mowed spontaneous grasse0
- Interactor
- grapevine leafhopperse0pest
- Outcome
- grapevine leafhopperse0
- Direction
- favourede0
- Qualifier
- especially in organice0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“non-mowed spontaneous grass in vineyards inter-rows favoured the abundance of natural enemies but also of grapevine leafhoppers, especially in organic”
Claim · model-written summary
Non-mowed vegetation could hinder control of Scaphoideus titanus in organic vineyards.
- Interactor
- Scaphoideus titanus
Scaphoideus titanuse0pest - Outcome
- control of Scaphoideus titanus populationse0
- Direction
- make hardere0
- Setting
- organic vineyardse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“non-mowed vegetation could make harder the control of Scaphoideus titanus populations in organic vineyards”
t0“vineyard”
e1“non-mowed spontaneous grass in vineyards inter-rows favoured the abundance of natural enemies but also of grapevine leafhoppers, especially in organic”
Claim · model-written summary
Prolonged green-manure flowering favored higher beneficial arthropod presence and abundance.
- Treatment
- Allowing the green manure to flowering for a prolonged periode0
- Outcome
- presence and abundance of beneficial arthropodse0
- Direction
- highere0
- Comparator
- mowing it earlye0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Allowing the green manure to flowering for a prolonged period instead of mowing it early, as traditionally done by the growers, can favour a higher presence and abundance of beneficial arthropods”
t0“vineyard”
e1“non-mowed spontaneous grass in vineyards inter-rows favoured the abundance of natural enemies but also of grapevine leafhoppers, especially in organic”
Claim · model-written summary
Prolonged green-manure flowering did not influence phytophagous densities.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“while not influenced phytophagous densities”
t0“vineyard”
e1“non-mowed spontaneous grass in vineyards inter-rows favoured the abundance of natural enemies but also of grapevine leafhoppers, especially in organic”
e2“Allowing the green manure to flowering for a prolonged period instead of mowing it early, as traditionally done by the growers, can favour a higher presence and abundance of beneficial arthropods”
Claim · model-written summary
E. vulnerata may develop three generations annually in the invaded area.
- Interactor
- E. vulneratae0pest
- Outcome
- three generations per yearse0
- Value
- three generations per yearse0
- Setting
- new invaded areae0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“E. vulnerata suggest that the non-native pest can develop three generations per years in the new invaded area”
t0“vineyard”
e1“non-mowed spontaneous grass in vineyards inter-rows favoured the abundance of natural enemies but also of grapevine leafhoppers, especially in organic”
Claim · model-written summary
Rural buildings and alternative hosts at vineyard margins favored E. vulnerata overwintering and spread.
- Outcome
- overwintering and spreading into the vineyardse0
- Direction
- favourede0
- Qualifier
- rural buildings and alternative hostse0
- Setting
- vineyard marginse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the presence of rural buildings and alternative hosts at vineyard margins favoured it overwintering and spreading into the vineyards”
t0“vineyard”
e1“non-mowed spontaneous grass in vineyards inter-rows favoured the abundance of natural enemies but also of grapevine leafhoppers, especially in organic”
Claim · model-written summary
Natural enemy impact on pests appeared limited to egg parasitism by Hymenoptera Mymaridae.
- Interactor
- Hymenoptera Mymaridaee0biocontrol_agent
- Outcome
- impact of natural enemies on pest populationse0
- Qualifier
- limited to egg parasitisme0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The impact of natural enemies on pest populations appeared to be limited to egg parasitism by Hymenoptera Mymaridae”
t0“vineyard”
e1“non-mowed spontaneous grass in vineyards inter-rows favoured the abundance of natural enemies but also of grapevine leafhoppers, especially in organic”
Claim · model-written summary
Predator releases generally gave unsatisfactory leafhopper control in vineyards.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“their release did not give satisfactory results”
t0“vineyard”
e1“non-mowed spontaneous grass in vineyards inter-rows favoured the abundance of natural enemies but also of grapevine leafhoppers, especially in organic”
Claim · model-written summary
One Orius majusculus release significantly reduced leafhopper numbers.
- Treatment
- release of Orius majusculuse0
- Interactor
- leafhoppere0pest
- Second interactor
- Orius majusculus
Orius majusculuse0biocontrol_agent - Outcome
- leafhopper numberse0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Qualifier
- only one triale0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“in only one trial in which the release of Orius majusculus significantly reduced the leafhopper numbers”
t0“vineyard”
e1“non-mowed spontaneous grass in vineyards inter-rows favoured the abundance of natural enemies but also of grapevine leafhoppers, especially in organic”
Claim · model-written summary
Temporary vegetation alone appears insufficient to create a more pest-stable vineyard ecosystem in very simplified settings.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“in extremely simplified context, the only presence of temporary vegetation appears not enough to create a more pest-stable agro-ecosystem”
t0“vineyard”
e1“non-mowed spontaneous grass in vineyards inter-rows favoured the abundance of natural enemies but also of grapevine leafhoppers, especially in organic”
The same questions in other papers
fertilization · pest · VitisPositive and negative results
4 papers in the same direction as this paper · 1 in the opposite direction
- negative
- positive
- positive
2 papers more in this group
See all 6 papers →stage · pest · VitisResults agree
1 paper in the same direction as this paper
- positive
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.