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Towards a synergistic management of Weeds, Insect herbivores and Diseases with their natural Enemies in pesticide-free agroecosystems

Descripción del proyecto

Control de plagas sin plaguicidas

Los agroecosistemas de hoy necesitan nuevos métodos libres de plaguicidas para gestionar los procesos de regulación de plagas. Hasta la fecha, las plagas principales de la agricultura (malezas, insectos herbívoros y patógenos) se han estudiado por separado. El proyecto financiado con fondos europeos WIDE-Synergies examinará estas tres plagas juntas. Su hipótesis es que existen sinergias entre el control sincronizado de plagas y sus enemigos naturales. En el proyecto se llevarán a cabo dos experimentos de campo para evaluar los efectos de la agricultura libre de plaguicidas, identificar las sinergias y calcular los efectos sobre el rendimiento de los cultivos. Ambos experimentos compararán prácticas agrícolas de control de las malas hierbas sin herbicidas que se sabe que también afectan a insectos y patógenos. Los resultados serán de sumo interés para los agricultores, a quienes se invitará a seguir el proyecto de investigación y comentar sus hallazgos.

Objetivo

Farming without pesticides is a major challenge for agriculture today. A promising approach is to design agroecosystems that favour pest regulating processes. Weeds, insect herbivores and pathogens are the main pests in cropping systems, and, so far, they have been mostly studied separately. The WIDE-Synergies project will consider them together by hypothesising that there are synergies in simultaneous management of Weeds, Insect herbivores, Diseases, and their natural Enemies (i.e. WIDE) in agroecosystems. The WIDE-Synergies project aims to (i) quantify the effect of pesticide-free farming practices on these pests and their enemies, (ii) identify the synergies and/or trade-offs in their simultaneous management and (iii) assess the effects on crop yield. Two field experiments with cereals will be conducted in parallel at the Wiesengut experimental farm of the University of Bonn, Germany. Both experiments will compare farming practices aimed at controlling weeds without herbicides, and known to also affect insects and diseases: mechanical weeding, intercropping and under-sowing with a living mulch, in addition to two control treatments (i.e. five treatments repeated four times in a randomised block design). One experiment will contain wildflower strips at plot margins as a semi-natural habitat for biodiversity and the other will have bare soil between plots. The abundance and regulation of weeds, insect herbivores and diseases, as well as of their natural enemies, will be monitored in the fields over two consecutive years. Crop yield will be measured at harvest. Treatments will be compared within and between field experiments. The results are expected to be scientifically highly innovative, and of high interest to farmers and their advisers who will be invited to follow the research project and discuss its output. Communication channels will also be developed to inform non-specialists of the research that aims to develop safe and healthy agriculture in Europe.

Coordinador

RHEINISCHE FRIEDRICH-WILHELMS-UNIVERSITAT BONN
Aportación neta de la UEn
€ 174 806,40
Dirección
REGINA PACIS WEG 3
53113 Bonn
Alemania

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Región
Nordrhein-Westfalen Köln Bonn, Kreisfreie Stadt
Tipo de actividad
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Enlaces
Coste total
€ 174 806,40