Integrating biological pest control techniques to enhance crop protection

Crowther, Lucy and Wilson, Kenneth and Wilby, Andy and Stevens, Carly (2024) Integrating biological pest control techniques to enhance crop protection. PhD thesis, Lancaster University.

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Abstract

Agricultural activities are directly responsible for a proportion of global biodiversity decline and the resulting decrease in local ecosystem services. Alongside changes in grower, retailer and consumer mindsets, legislation and insecticide resistance are limiting the availability of effective chemical controls. These changes put greater emphasis on identifying effective biological controls and understanding how they can work together in an integrated system. This thesis examines the interactive effects of two pest control methods in the field: floral field margins and entomopathogenic nematodes. In chapter two, a meta-analysis investigates the variability in the success of floral field margins in support of biological control services, identifying the specific groupings of natural enemies which benefit from increased floral resource abundance and species richness. The findings were then used to inform the selection and establishment of floral field margins going forward. In chapter three, an organic brass