Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-jr42d Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-18T17:29:18.041Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effect of cover-cropping systems on invertebrate seed predation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Eric R. Gallandt ,
Thomas Molloy ,
Ryan P. Lynch  and
Francis A. Drummond
Thomas Molloy
Affiliation:
Department of Plant, Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5722
Ryan P. Lynch
Affiliation:
Sustainable Agriculture Program, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5722
Francis A. Drummond
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5722
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Contrasting cover-cropping systems were compared to determine whether fundamental differences in cover-cropping strategies affect weed seed predators and resulting seed predation. We conducted typical “feeding” trials in which 25 seeds of each of six weed species, including velvetleaf, wild mustard, yellow foxtail, common lambsquarters, redroot pigweed, and hairy galinsoga, were placed in the field. Exclosures showed that the majority of seed predation could be attributed to invertebrates: 43% out of a total of 56% seed predation for 11 d in 2002 and 40% out of a total of 58% seed predation for 4 d in 2003. The predominant invertebrate seed predator across all entry points of four cropping systems was a ground-dwelling carabid beetle, Harpalus rufipes, which was more abundant in vegetated treatments, particularly red clover, compared with treatments recently tilled and planted to a fall cover crop. In the absence of vertebrates, H. rufipes activity–density was positively correlated with mean seed predation in 2002 (Spearman ρ = 0.489; P < 0.001) but not in 2003 (Spearman ρ = 0.090; P = 0.504), possibly because of a delay between pitfall trapping and predation assay. The activity–density of invertebrate seed predators measured in these systems and the high level of predation imposed on weed seeds at the soil surface indicate that cover-cropping strategies should consider late-season weed management, which maintains seeds on the soil surface and provides desirable habitat for invertebrate predators.

Keywords

Common lambsquarters, Chenopodium album L. CHEALhairy galinsoga, Galinsoga ciliata (Raf.) Blake GASCIred clover, Trifolium pratense L. TRFPRredroot pigweed, Amaranthus retroflexus L. AMAREvelvetleaf, Abutilon theophrasti Medicus ABUTHwild mustard, Brassica kaber (DC.) L.C. Wheeler SINARyellow foxtail, Setaria glauca (L.) Beauv. SETLUBiological controlCarabidaeHarpalus rufipesinvertebratesseedbank dynamicsseed predation
Type
Weed Biology and Ecology
Information
Weed Science , Volume 53 , Issue 1 , February 2005 , pp. 69 - 76
Copyright
Copyright © Weed Science Society of America 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Literature Cited

Barberi, P. 2002. Weed management in organic agriculture: are we addressing the right issues? Weed Res 42:177–193.Google Scholar
Briggs, J. B. 1965. Biology of some ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) injurious to strawberries. Bull. Entomol. Res 56:79–93.Google Scholar
Brust, G. E. and House, G. J. 1988. Weed seed destruction by arthropods and rodents in low-input soybean agroecosystems. Am. J. Altern. Agric 3:19–25.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cardina, J., Norquay, H. M., Stinner, B. A., and McCartney, D. A. 1996. Postdispersal predation of velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti) seeds. Weed Sci 44:534–539.Google Scholar
Carmona, D. M. and Landis, D. A. 1999. Influence of refuge habitats and cover crops on seasonal activity-density of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in field crops. Biol. Control 28:1145–1153.Google Scholar
Cromar, H. E., Murphy, S. D., and Swanton, C. J. 1999. Influence of tillage and crop residue on postdispersal predation of weed seeds. Weed Sci 47:184–194.Google Scholar
Davis, A. S., Dixon, P. M., and Liebman, M. 2003. Cropping system effects on giant foxtail (Setaria faberi) demography: II. Retrospective perturbation analysis. Weed Sci 51:930–939.Google Scholar
Davis, A. S. and Liebman, M. 2003. Cropping system effects on giant foxtail (Setaria faberi) demography: I. Green manure and tillage timing. Weed Sci 51:919–929.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dritschilo, W. and Wanner, D. 1980. Ground beetle abundance in organic and conventional corn fields. Environ. Entomol 9:629–631.Google Scholar
Dunn, G. A. 1981. Distribution of Harpalus rufipes DeGeer in Canada and United States (Coleoptera: Carabidae). Entomol. Newsl 92:186–188.Google Scholar
Ferguson, G. A. 1976. Statistical Analysis in Psychology and Education. New York: McGraw-Hill. 307 p.Google Scholar
Gallandt, E. R. 2004. Soil improving practices for ecological weed management. Pages 267–284 in Inderjit, ed. Principles and Practices in Weed Management: Weed Biology and Weed Management. Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic.Google Scholar
Grubinger, V. P. 1999. Sustainable Vegetable Production from Start-up to Market. Ithaca, NY: Natural Resource, Agriculture, and Engineering Service (NRAES). Pp. 74–77.Google Scholar
JMP. 2002. JMP® Statistics and Graphics Guide, Version 5. Cary, NC: SAS Institute. Pp. 315–334.Google Scholar
Larochelle, A. 1976. Manuel d'Identification des Carabidae du Quebec. Cordulia (Suppl. 1): 1–127.Google Scholar
Liebman, M. and Davis, A. S. 2000. Integration of soil, crop, and weed management in low-external-input farming systems. Weed Res 40:27–47.Google Scholar
Lindroth, C. H. 1969. The ground-beetles (Carabidae), excl. Cicindelinae of Canada and Alaska, 1–6. Opusc. Entomol. (Suppl.):20–35.Google Scholar
Loughridge, A. H. and Luff, M. L. 1983. Aphid predation by Harpalus rufipes (DeGeer) (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in the laboratory and field. J. Appl. Ecol 20:451–462.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marino, P. C., Gross, K. L., and Landis, D. A. 1997. Weed seed loss to predation in Michigan maize fields. Agric. Ecosyst. Environ 66:189–196.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Menalled, F. D., Marino, P. C., Renner, K. A., and Landis, D. A. 2000. Post-dispersal weed seed predation in Michigan crop fields as a function of agricultural landscape structure. Agric. Ecosyst. Environ 77:193–202.Google Scholar
Nordell, E. 1993. A few long furrows on horsedrawn tillage. Small Farmers J 17:17–23.Google Scholar
Rivard, I. 1966. Ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in relation to agricultural crops. Can. Entomol 98:189–195.Google Scholar
Sarrantonio, M. and Gallandt, E. R. 2003. The role of cover crops in North American cropping systems. J. Crop Prod 8:53–73.Google Scholar
Skuhravy, V. 1959. Die Nahrung der Feldcarabiden. Acta Soc. Entomol. Cech 56:1–18.Google Scholar
Sunderland, K. D. 1975. The diet of some predatory arthropods in cereal crops. J. Appl. Ecol 12:507–515.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thiele, H. U. 1977. Carabid Beetles in Their Environments. Berlin, Germany: Springer. Pp. 112–134.Google Scholar
Tooley, J. A., Froud-Williams, R. J., Boatman, N. D., and Holland, J. M. 1999. Laboratory studies of weed seed predation by carabid beetles. Pages 571–572 in The 1999 Brighton Conference—Weeds. Brighton, U.K.: British Crop Protection Council.Google Scholar
von Ende, C. N. 2001. Repeated-measures analysis. Pages 134–157 in Scheiner, S. M. and Gurevitch, J. eds. Design and Analysis of Ecological Experiments. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Westerman, P. R., Hofman, A., Vet, L. E. M., and van der Werf, W. 2003. Relative importance of vertebrates and invertebrates in epigeaic weed seed predation in organic cereal fields. Agric. Ecosyst. Environ 95:417–425.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zhang, J. 1993. Biology of Harpalus rufipes DeGeer (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in Maine and Dynamics of Seed Predation. . University of Maine, Orono, ME. 154 p.Google Scholar
Zhang, J., Drummond, F. A., Liebman, M., and Hartke, A. 1997. Phenology and dispersal of Harpalus rufipes DeGeer (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in agroecosystems in Maine. J. Agric. Entomol 14:171–186.Google Scholar