Insects (2022) 13 (10 - 908)

Ludivine Laffon, Armin Bischoff, Hélène Gautier, Florent Gilles, Laurent Gomez, Françoise Lescourret and Pierre Franck (2022)
Conservation biological control of codling moth (Cydia pomonella): Effects of two aromatic plants, basil (Ocimum basilicum) and French marigolds (Tagetes patula)
Insects 13 (10 - 908)
Abstract: The addition of flowering companion plants within or around crop fields is a promising strategy to strengthen pest regulation by their natural enemies. Aromatic plants are frequently used as companion plants, but their effects on natural enemies remain unclear under field conditions. Here, we evaluated the effects of two aromatic plant species on the parasitism of the codling moth (Cydia pomonella) and the recruitment of predatory arthropods (spiders, earwigs) in a factorial field experiment. Apple trees were intercropped with basil (Ocimum basilicum), French marigolds (Tagetes patula), or ryegrass (Lolium perenne). The association between apple trees and O. basilicum increases codling moth parasitism, but does not affect arthropod predator abundances. Furthermore, we find a general negative effect of T. patula on arthropod diversities and abundances, including the pest and its natural enemies. Finally, changes in the parasitism rate and arthropod community structure due to the aromatic plants do not reduce codling moth density or associated apple damage. Further experiments are needed to determine the mechanisms involved in aromatic plant effects on pest repellence and on natural enemy recruitment (volatile organic compound composition, floral resource supply, or pest density dependence).
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Full text of article
Database assignments for author(s): Armin Bischoff, Helene Gautier, Françoise Lescourret

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
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.
	Cydia pomonella	Apple (Malus)	France