Transcript Dr Oliver Balmer, FiBL, Switzerland

Functional agrobiodiversity
research in Switzerland
Oliver Balmer
www.fibl.org
Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL)
Frick, Switzerland
Welcome!
We are here
www.fibl.org
For questions:
Oliver Balmer
Anne Merz
Bus 14:25
FAB projects in Switzerland
FiBL: sustainable fruit system
FiBL: cabbage pests
www.fibl.org
FiBL: DOK trial (soil)
Agroscope: cereal
University of Bern: wheat
not very much in Switzerland, but diverse
FiBL prominent
Agroscope Reckenholz-Tänikon
Research Station (ART)
Project: Conservation biocontrol in cereal crops with flowering habitats
Katja Jacot and Lisa Eggenschwiler
Background
General promotion of biodiversity not sufficient to reach an effective pest regulation.
A tailored "functional biodiversity" is essential to site- and crop-specifically promote the target organisms (in our case:
aphid antagonists).
www.fibl.org
Sub-goals
1. Provision of optimal conditions to attract, build up and preserve the antagonist populations
a) Plant species selection, combinations, hibernation, management
b) Optimal spatial arrangement of the plants
1. Dispersion of the antagonists into the crop
2. Reduction of aphid infestation in cereal crops (damage threshold) through the antagonists
Project period
2009-2014
Partners
In discussion
University of Bern
Martin H. Schmidt-Entling
Project:
Effects of sown wildflower areas on spider fauna of winter wheat fields
Results:
Fields next to sown wildflower areas have higher spider densities, but
not higher diversity
www.fibl.org
Schmidt-Entling & Döbeli (2009) AGEE 133
www.fibl.org
FAB related research at FiBL
DOK long-term system comparison (1978- )
Soil under biodynamic - organic - conventional treatment
Higher biodiversity at several trophic levels in organic systems
Higher nutrient and energy efficiency in organic systems
www.fibl.org
Mäder et al. (2002) Science 296
Birkhofer et al. (2008) Soil Bio Bioch 40
Paul Mäder
Key compartment
FAB potentially very important
Andreas Fliessbach Isabell Hildermann
Sustainable Fruit System
Pesticide-free apple production based on system design and biocontrol
Diverse Interlines
of biocontrol
Piles Release
of stones
organisms
Resistant varieties
Flowering tree lines
www.fibl.org
Release
of biocontrol
Nest
boxes
Wildflower
Strips
organisms
Hedges
Sustainable Fruit System
Franco Weibel
Claudia Daniel
www.fibl.org
Lukas Pfiffner
Eric Wyss
Biological control through functional
biodiversity in cabbage crops
Since 2004
New research focus at FiBL
www.fibl.org
Currently 3 researchers, 2 PhD students, master students, 1-2 interns
Henryk Luka
Lukas Pfiffner
Oliver Balmer
Céline Géneau
Elodie Belz
The problems
www.fibl.org
1. Food (nectar) necessary for many natural enemies but not available
in monocultures
2. Limited movement of natural enemies from wildflower strips
Winkler et al. (2006) Basic Appl Ecology
Lavandero et al. (2005) Biological Control
Questions
Can we reduce pest burden in cabbage fields by adding selected
plant species that specifically benefit parasitoids of cabbage pests?
What plant species are most efficient?
Does planting the flowers inside the field as ‘companion plants’
increase the efficiency compared to flower strips? (novel)
www.fibl.org
Motivation
Reduction of pesticide need
Increase of biodiversity in crop fields
How to provide nectar sources
Advantage
Problem
Wildflower strip
Overwintering habitat
Connection lost after crop rotation
(Pfiffner & Luka (2000) AGEE 78)
No movement into field
(Pfiffner et al. (2009) AGEE 129)
‘Loss’ of cultivated land
Companion plants
www.fibl.org
Direct contact
Short-term, flexible
No overwintering
Trichogramma
evanescens
Cotesia
rubecula
Cotesia
glomerata
Diadegma
semiclausum
Pests
Microplitis
mediator
Parasitoids
Our study system
Pieris rapae
www.fibl.org
Mamestra brassicae
Plutella xylostella
Larval parasitoid
Egg parasitoid
Cabbage
1) Attractive odour:
(behavioural choice experiments)
2) Increase parasitoid, not pest survival:
(cage experiments)
3) Increase parasitoid fecundity:
(cage experiments)
4) No competition with cabbage:
(field experiment)
0.4
0.6
0.8
n = 378, p = 0.81
0.0
0.2
Head weight (kg)
1.0
M. brassicae survival (hrs)
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Choice of plants
Control
C. cyanus
I. amara
O. vulgare
Companion plants
Honey
I. amara
Water
V. sepium
Field experiment 2009
n = 8 fields
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Investigated:
Pest abundances over time
Natural parasitation rates
Parasitation rates on provided M. brassicae eggs
Efficiency of released T. brassicae over 1 week
Insect diversity
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Field experiment 2010
Effects of companion plants and strips on:
(1) parasitoid dispersal, (2) parasitoid population,
(3) pest control, (4) plant damage, (5) biodiversity
FiBL
SFS
DOK
Andreas
Fliessbach
Franco Weibel
Lukas Pfiffner
Isabell Hildermann
Paul Mäder
Claudia Daniel
Administration
www.fibl.org
Eric Wyss
Functional
biodiversity
Anne Merz
Henryk Luka
Céline Géneau
Lukas Pfiffner
Oliver Balmer
Elodie Belz
Soil properties DOK experiment
A Physical
Percolation
stability
150
B Chemical
100
Magnesium
pH
150
100
50
50
0
0
Bulk
density
Aggregate
stability
Organic
carbon
Phosphorus
Calcium
Potassium
C Microbial
Mycorrhiza
Microbial
biomass
200
100
D Faunal
200
Dehydrogenase
Spiders
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100
Earthw orm
abundance
0
0
Saccharase
Earthw orm
biomass
Protease
Staphilinids
Carabids
Phosphatase
BIODYN
CONFYM
BIOORG
CONMIN
Mäder et al. (2002) Science 296