Bees go up, flowers go down: When are flowers needed most in agricultural areas?

Gabriella Bishop introduces us to the latest study, conducted alongside colleagues, which indicates that agri-environmental management should target the provision of summer floral resources for both social and solitary bees. Bees in intensive agricultural landscapes Bees need flowers for food and reproduction. Previously, agricultural areas contained small fields with undisturbed borders and flower-rich pastures that provided bees with the resources they need. The transition to … Continue reading Bees go up, flowers go down: When are flowers needed most in agricultural areas?

¿Qué determina la abundancia de plagas en trigo y sus enemigos naturales?

Esta publicación de blog también está disponible en inglés. Los enemigos naturales de las plagas, incluidos los predadores como las larvas de crisopas y sírfidos y las avispas parasitoides, brindan el servicio ecosistémico de control biológico de plagas. Diseñar paisajes agrícolas que promuevan este servicio es uno de los principales objetivos de la intensificación ecológica de la agricultura. Sin embargo, esto puede ser un desafío … Continue reading ¿Qué determina la abundancia de plagas en trigo y sus enemigos naturales?

Ecological requirements drive the variable responses of wheat pests and natural enemies to the landscape context

This blog post is also available in Spanish. Semi-natural habitats (SNH) are considered essential for pest-suppressive landscapes, but their influence on crop pests and natural enemies can be highly variable. In their latest research, González and colleagues assessed the responses of multiple insect pests and natural enemies in wheat fields to landscape context and flower availability. Natural enemies of crop pests, including predators such as … Continue reading Ecological requirements drive the variable responses of wheat pests and natural enemies to the landscape context