Cereals

This user manual presents the work of researchers who have studied the impact of cultivar mixtures on the natural enemies of cereal aphids. The analysis aims to show whether cultivar mixtures can contribute to crop resilience against/resistance to aphids. Information on the introduction of this practice and socio-economic data are also provided.

This user manual presents the work of researchers who intercropping cereals with forage legumes, to measure the effects of increased plant diversity on aphid colonisation, aphid and natural enemy abundance, and crop performance. Information on the introduction of this practice and socio-economic data are also provided.

This user manual presents the work of researchers on companion cropping in oilseed fields who tested three different strategies: (1) the use of trap crops around and within the field, (2) intercropping oilseeds with a legume, and (3) sowing food crops or mulching. These strategies were used to measure the effects on insect pest control, natural enemy abundance and agronomic performance. Information on the introduction of this practice and socio-economic data are also provided.

"This fact sheet present the experimental work of researchers who studied the impact of organic mulching in potato fields under diversified pedoclimatic contexts. In some country different organic mulches were tested on potato fields, and compared to a control treatment with no organic mulch. Information on the context and progress of the experiment is provided."

This fact sheet presents the experimental work of researchers who studied the impact of cultivar mixtures on the natural enemies of cereal aphids. The analysis aims to show whether cultivar mixtures can contribute to crop resistance to aphids. Information on the context and progress of the experiment is provided.

How different cultivar mixtures influence each other and may reduce pest burdens.

The combination of wheat varieties in organic arable cropping systems in Catalonia; English with subtitles in Catalan

How cultivar mixtures can be used for sustainable crop production

Use and benefits of intercropping and cultivar mixtures combined for enhanced pest regulation through field experiments

Use and benefits of cultivar mixtures for crop protection

Six EcoStack measures for promoting biodiversity and reducing pests were summarized and evaluated economically. Some of the measures may be economically attractive, depending on the farm structure and support.

Six EcoStack measures for promoting biodiversity and reducing pests were summarized and evaluated economically. Some of the measures may be economically attractive, depending on the farm structure and support.

"Aphids are vectors of plant viruses and can cause important yield losses innumerous crops. Rhopalosiphum padi is the main vector of Barley yellow dwarf virus PAV (BYDV-PAV). The yellow dwarf disease (YDD), present in all cereal growing regions in the world, caused by BYDV-PAV, can induce up to 80% of yield losses in barley. In a context of global warming, reduction of pesticide uses, and development of organic farming, new control methods for YDD incidence are needed. In this study, the association of a winter barley with clover was tested for its impact(s) on the R. padi/BYDV-PAV pathosystem. The effect of clover was different according to the morph of the aphid introduced in a multi-plant (i.e., arena) experimental design in laboratory. A spatial effect on aphid distribution (observed for alate founder morph) and a reduction of the size of aphid populations (observed for wingless founder morph) are described. However, the presence of clover did not modify, under our experimental conditions, the efficiency of BYDV-PAV infections and within arena spread of YDD. Thus, clover used by cereal growers for other services (weeds reduction, nitrogen supply, and soil cover), would participate to lower the risks associated to the presence of BYDV vectors through a bottom-up regulation of aphid populations within the field. Barley/clover intercropping should be considered as a promising method for a future management strategy againstvectors of yellow dwarf disease, especially in an insecticide-free agriculture"