Abstract
BACKGROUND: The tea aphid, Toxoptera aurantia is a destructive pest causing severe damage to the quality and yield of tea, Camellia sinensis. Relying on chemical insecticides to control this pest causes adverse ecological and economic consequences. Trap plants are an eco-friendly alternative strategy to mitigate pest damage on focal plants by attracting target insects and natural enemies. Yet, the utilization of trap plants in tea plantations remains limited. Besides, the effects of the trap plant on the tea aphid-ant-predator community and tea quality and yield are unknown. RESULTS: Intercropped Flemingia macrophylla successfully trapped tea aphids and enhanced the complexity of aphid-ant-predator networks over three consecutive years compared to monoculture management. Moreover, F. macrophylla significantly increased the abundance of natural predators by 3100% and species richness by 57%. The increasing predators suppressed the aphid population and hampered its spillover to neighbouring tea plants. Consequently, F. macrophylla improved tea quality by an 8% increase in soluble sugar and a 26% reduction in polyphenols to amino acids ratio. CONCLUSION: The study illustrated that F. macrophylla is a suitable trap crop for tea aphid control in tea plantations. This legume increases species nodes and strengthens multiple connections in aphid-associated communities through its cascade effects, improving tea quality. These findings shed light on the potential application of trap plants in tea plantations as an efficient integrated pest management (IPM) strategy. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
Intercropped Flemingia macrophylla trapped tea aphids over three years.
Verbatim
e0“Intercropped Flemingia macrophylla successfully trapped tea aphids and enhanced the complexity of aphid-ant-predator networks over three consecutive years compared to monoculture management.”
t0“tea aphid (Toxoptera aurantia) and alters associated networks to enhance tea quality”
Claim · model-written summary
Flemingia intercropping enhanced aphid-ant-predator network complexity over three years.
Verbatim
e0“Intercropped Flemingia macrophylla successfully trapped tea aphids and enhanced the complexity of aphid-ant-predator networks over three consecutive years compared to monoculture management.”
t0“tea quality”
Claim · model-written summary
F. macrophylla increased natural predator abundance by 3100%.
- Taxon
- teat0
- Treatment
- F. macrophyllae0
- Outcome
- abundance of natural predatorse0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 3100%e0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“F. macrophylla significantly increased the abundance of natural predators by 3100% and species richness by 57%.”
t0“tea quality”
Claim · model-written summary
F. macrophylla increased natural predator species richness by 57%.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“F. macrophylla significantly increased the abundance of natural predators by 3100% and species richness by 57%.”
t0“tea quality”
Claim · model-written summary
More predators suppressed tea aphid populations.
Verbatim
e0“The increasing predators suppressed the aphid population and hampered its spillover to neighbouring tea plants.”
Claim · model-written summary
More predators hampered aphid spillover to neighboring tea plants.
Verbatim
e0“The increasing predators suppressed the aphid population and hampered its spillover to neighbouring tea plants.”
Claim · model-written summary
F. macrophylla raised tea soluble sugar by 8%.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“F. macrophylla improved tea quality by an 8% increase in soluble sugar and a 26% reduction in polyphenols to amino acids ratio.”
Claim · model-written summary
F. macrophylla reduced the tea polyphenols to amino acids ratio by 26%.
- Taxon
- teae0
- Treatment
- F. macrophyllae0
- Outcome
- polyphenols to amino acids ratioe0
- Direction
- reductione0
- Value
- 26%e0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“F. macrophylla improved tea quality by an 8% increase in soluble sugar and a 26% reduction in polyphenols to amino acids ratio.”
Claim · model-written summary
Authors identify F. macrophylla as a suitable tea aphid trap crop.
Verbatim
e0“F. macrophylla is a suitable trap crop for tea aphid control in tea plantations.”
The same questions in other papers
intercropping · pest · Camellia sinensis (black tea)Results agree
2 papers in the same direction as this paper
- positive
- 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.