Making EFAs work for farmers and biodiversity Felix Wckers Agri - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Making EFAs work for farmers and biodiversity

Felix Wäckers

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Agriculture Environment

Focus on conservation Agri Environment Schemes

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Perceived Conflict

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Agriculture Environment

Focus on ecosystem services Agri Environment Schemes

€320 billion/year €90 billion/year

(Constanza 1997)

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How to optimize services?

Traditional paradigm: Enhance diversity (diversity = stability = services) Pimentel, D. (1961) Diversity-Stability hypothesis: The stability of a community increases with increasing biological diversity

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Andow D.A. (Ann. Rev. Entomol. 36: 561-586)

Vegetational diversity and pest control

• 52% of published studies on agroecosystem diversification report

reduced pest populations

• 33% had no effect or variable effects
• 15% resulted in increased pest populations.

Effects variable

Does it work?

Example biological pest control

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How to optimize services?

Traditional paradigm: Enhance diversity Functional biodiversity: Selectively enhance diversity Focus on functional groups that provide ecosystem services

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Informed selection of non-crop plants as a multifunctional tool to optimize ecosystem services

• Select plants that optimize biological pest control or pollination
• Select plants that avoid stimulation of pests
• Select plants that generate multiple ecosystem services

Targeted landscape management

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Aegopodium podagraria Daucus carota Origanum vulgare Galium mollugo Leucanthemum vulgare Erigeron annuus Trifolium repens Medicago lupulina Trifolium pratense Achillea millefolium Vicia sativa

Accessible nectar Inaccessible nectar Attractive Non-attractive Select to optimize BC benefits

(Wäckers, 1996, 2004)

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Select plants that optimize biological pest control

Choice Longevity (AFLI) family species Floral Nectar depth Hoverfly

• E. balteatus

Hoverfly

• E. balteatus

Lacewing

• C. carnea

Parasitoids References parasitoids (species) Apiaceae Ammi majus

+ + +

• Geneau et al., unpubl. (Microplitis mediator)

Apiaceae Coriandrum sativum

+ + +/-

Vattala et al., 2006 (Microtonus hyperodae) Apiaceae Daucus carota

+/- + ++ +

Winkler et al., 2009 (Cotesia glomerata) Apiaceae Foeniculum vulgare

+ + +

Winkler et al., 2009 (Cotesia glomerata) Apiaceae Heracleum spondylium

+/- + +/-

Winkler et al., 2009 (Cotesia glomerata) Apiaceae Pastinaca sativa

+ + ++ +/-

Foster & Ruessink, 1984 (Meteorus rubens) Polygonaceae Fagopyrum esculentum

+ + + +

Winkler et al., 2009 (Cotesia glomerata) Boraginaceae Borago officinalis

• +

++

• Nilsson et al., unpubl. (Trybliographa rapae)

Ranunculaceae Ranunculus acris

+ +

• Kehrli & Bacher, 2008 (Minotetrastichus frontalis)

Caryophyllaceae Gypsophila elegans 1

+/- + ++

Asteraceae Matricaria chamomilla 1

+/- + +

• Nilsson et al., unpubl. (Trybliographa rapae)

Asteraceae Achillea millefolium 1

+/- + +/-

• Wäckers 2004 (Cotesia glomerata)

Asteraceae L Cichorium intybus 1

• +

Asteraceae Chrysanthemum segetum 2

+/- + +

Asteraceae Anthemis tinctoria 2

• +/-

+/-

Asteraceae Leucanthemum vulgare 2

+/- +

• Wäckers 2004 (Cotesia glomerata)

Asteraceae Tanacetum vulgare 2

• +/-

Asteraceae Calendula officinalis 3

• Rahat et al., 2005 (Trissolcus basalis)

Asteraceae Centaurea cyanus (+EFN) 3

+/- + ++ +/-

Winkler et al., 2009 (Cotesia glomerata) Asteraceae Helianthus annuus (+EFN) 3

+ +

Asteraceae Cosmos bipinnatus 4

• +/-

+

Rahat et al., 2005 (Trissolcus basalis) Malvaceae Malva sylvestris 4

• Boraginaceae

Phacelia tanacetifolia 4

+/- +/- +/-

• Irvin et al., 2007 (Gonatocerus spp.)

Fabaceae Medicago sativa 4

• Kehrli & Bacher, 2008 (Minotetrastichus frontalis)

Fabaceae Vicia sativa (+EFN) 4

• +

++

Geneau et al., unpubl. (Microplitis mediator) Fabaceae Lotus corniculatus 4

• (Wäckers and van Rijn, 2012)

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Selecting plants that avoid stimulation of pests

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2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 Control (water) Centaurea jacae Origanum vulgare Ornithopus sativus Medicago sp. Trifolium pratense Centaurea cyanus Daucus carota Anethum graveolens Fagopyrum esculentum survival (days) Pieris rapae Cotesia glomerata

Pest

Biological control agent

(Winkler et al., 2009)

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Selecting plants that generate multiple ecosystem services

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Pollination Biocontrol

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Pollinator mix Biocontrol mix Combination

(Campbell, Biesmeijer Varma & Wäckers, 2012)

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FAB (Functional Agrobiodiversity)

Large scale biodiversity project in the Hoekse Waard working with conventional growers. Addition of annual and perennial field margins to existing landscape features (polders, dikes, creeks, canal borders).

Taking it to the Farmer

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Leguminous Plants: Insect Magnets

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Melige Koolluis (aantal/plant) 20 40 60 80 Tuinboon Bloemen Veld nabij akkerrand met:

Cabbage aphids

Control Vetch Mixed flowers

24 26 28 30 32 34 36

week

Control Broad bean Mixed flowers

Brussels Sprouts

Cabbage aphids

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Potato

Aphid peak: mid July

Wheat

mid June bladluizen 2 4 6 8 2005 2006 2007 aantal/halm

A B C D

bedrijf

rover/luis

0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 2005 2006 2007 verhouding

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 2005 2006 2007 no./leaf

A B C D farm

aphids

predator/prey 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 2005 2006 2007 ratio

Three year trends in aphid and natural enemy populations at conventional farms

aphids aphids Predator/prey

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Optimizing Ecosystem Services in Terms of Agronomy and Conservation (ECOSTAC.CO.UK)

Growing Wild

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Beneficial insects in field margins

June - Sept 2010 50 100 150 200 250 300 Hoverflies Bumble bees Parasitoid w asps Ladybirds Beneficial insect group Mean insects observed

Insects observed in flowering field margin Insects observed in grassy margin

June-Sept 2011 50 100 150 200 250 Hoverflies Bumble bees Parasitoid w asps Ladybirds Beneficial insect group Mean insects observed

Insects observed in flowering field margin Insects observed in grassy field margin

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0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 08.06 15.06 22.06 29.06 06.07 08.06 15.06 22.06 29.06 06.07 08.06 15.06 22.06 29.06 06.07 CF1

• CF2
• CF3

Sample site and date Proportional aphid distribution 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 % parasitism Aphid % distribution % parasitism

Aphids in peas

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More beneficials Fewer pests

The positive spiral

More biodiversity Fewer pesticides

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Yield impact?

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 2 3

wheat (yield in tonnes/ha)

+12%

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3

peas (yield in tonnes/ha)

+26%

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 2 3

carrots (yield in tonnes/ha)

+32%

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Functional Biodiversity

• Shows that yield and conservation are not conflicting
• bjectives
• Helps growers cope with ongoing decline in pollinators

and reduced availability of registered agrochemicals

• Compatible with current practices
• Creates additional economic incentives for farmers to

engage in Agri-Environment Schemes

• Makes CAP greening a win-win for farmers and nature

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Thanks