Insects (2021) 12 (1 - 74)

Xiao-wei Li, Xin-xin Lu, Zhi-jun Zhang, Jun Huang, Jin-ming Zhang, Li-kun Wang, Muhammad Hafeez, G. Mandela Fernández-Grandon and Yao-bin Lu (2021)
Intercropping rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) with sweet pepper (Capsicum annum) reduces major pest population densities without impacting natural enemy populations
Insects 12 (1 - 74)
Abstract: Intercropping of aromatic plants provides an environmentally benign route to reducing pest damage in agroecosystems. However, the effect of intercropping on natural enemies, another element which may be vital to the success of an integrated pest management approach, varies in different intercropping systems. Rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis L. (Lamiaceae), has been reported to be repellent to many insect species. In this study, the impact of sweet pepper/rosemary intercropping on pest population suppression was evaluated under greenhouse conditions and the effect of rosemary intercropping on natural enemy population dynamics was investigated. The results showed that intercropping rosemary with sweet pepper significantly reduced the population densities of three major pest species on sweet pepper, Frankliniella intonsa, Myzus persicae, and Bemisia tabaci, but did not affect the population densities of their natural enemies, the predatory bug, Orius sauteri, or parasitoid, Encarsia formosa. Significant pest population suppression with no adverse effect on released natural enemy populations in the sweet pepper/rosemary intercropping system suggests this could be an approach for integrated pest management of greenhouse-cultivated sweet pepper. Our results highlight the potential of the integration of alternative pest control strategies to optimize sustainable pest control.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
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Database assignments for author(s): G. Mandela Fernández-Grandon

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
environment - cropping system/rotation
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
environment/habitat manipulation

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Myzus persicae	Green pepper/chilli (Capsicum)	China (south)
	Frankliniella intonsa	Green pepper/chilli (Capsicum)	China (south)
Encarsia formosa (parasitoid)			China (south)
Orius sauteri (predator)	Frankliniella intonsa	Green pepper/chilli (Capsicum)	China (south)