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Companion planting in gardening and agriculture is the planting of different crops in proximity for any of a number of different reasons, including pest control, pollination, providing habitat for beneficial insects, maximizing use of space, and to otherwise increase crop productivity. Companion planting is a form of polyculture.
Insecticides are substances used to kill insects. They include ovicides and larvicides used against insect eggs and larvae, respectively. Insecticides are used in agriculture, medicine, industry and by consumers. Insecticides are claimed to be a major factor behind the increase in the 20th-century's agricultural productivity. Nearly all insecticides have the potential to significantly alter ecosystems; many are toxic to humans and/or animals; some become concentrated as they spread along the food chain.
Biological control or biocontrol is a method of controlling pests such as insects, mites, weeds and plant diseases using other organisms. It relies on predation, parasitism, herbivory, or other natural mechanisms, but typically also involves an active human management role. It can be an important component of integrated pest management (IPM) programs.
A pest is any animal or plant harmful to humans or human concerns. The term is particularly used for creatures that damage crops, livestock, and forestry or cause a nuisance to people, especially in their homes. Humans have modified the environment for their own purposes and are intolerant of other creatures occupying the same space when their activities impact adversely on human objectives. Thus, an elephant is unobjectionable in its natural habitat but a pest when it tramples crops.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to organic gardening and farming:
A beetle bank, in agriculture and horticulture, is a form of biological pest control. It is a strip, preferably raised, planted with grasses and/or perennial plants, within a crop field or a garden, that fosters and provides habitat for beneficial insects, birds, and other fauna that prey on pests.
Intercropping is a multiple cropping practice that involves growing two or more crops in proximity. In other words, intercropping is the cultivation of two or more crops simultaneously on the same field. The most common goal of intercropping is to produce a greater yield on a given piece of land by making use of resources or ecological processes that would otherwise not be utilized by a single crop.
Warwick HRI was a United Kingdom organisation tasked with carrying out horticultural research and development and transferring the results to industry in England.
Organic horticulture is the science and art of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, or ornamental plants by following the essential principles of organic agriculture in soil building and conservation, pest management, and heirloom variety preservation.
A beneficial weed is an invasive plant not generally considered domesticated that has some companion plant effect, is edible, contributes to soil health, adds ornamental value, or is otherwise beneficial. Beneficial weeds include many wildflowers, as well as other weeds that are commonly removed or poisoned.
A trap crop is a plant that attracts agricultural pests, usually insects, away from nearby crops. This form of companion planting can save the main crop from decimation by pests without the use of pesticides.[1] A trap crop is used for attracting the insect and pests away from the field.[1] While many trap crops have successfully diverted pests off of focal crops in small scale greenhouse, garden and field experiments, only a small portion of these plants have been shown to reduce pest damage at larger commercial scales. A common explanation for reported trap cropping failures, is that attractive trap plants only protect nearby plants if the insects do not move back into the main crop. In a review of 100 trap cropping examples in 2006, only 10 trap crops were classified as successful at a commercial scale, and in all successful cases, trap cropping was supplemented with management practices that specifically limited insect dispersal from the trap crop back into the main crop.
John Anthony Pickett CBE DSC FRS is a British chemist who is noted for his work on insect pheromones. Pickett is Professor of Biological Chemistry in the School of Chemistry at Cardiff University. He previously served as the Michael Elliott Distinguished Research Fellow at Rothamsted Research.
Melanostoma fasciatum is a species of hoverfly found in New Zealand, where it is common in agricultural fields and gardens. Locally dense populations of this hoverfly species might effectively reduce pest infestation. Hence, they are perhaps an effective natural and non-toxic bioagent that may control and reduce aphid and small caterpillar populations.
The effects of climate change on agriculture can result in lower crop yields and nutritional quality due to for example drought, heat waves and flooding as well as increases in pests and plant diseases. The effects are unevenly distributed across the world and are caused by changes in temperature, precipitation and atmospheric carbon dioxide levels due to global climate change. A range of measures for climate change adaptation may reduce the risk of negative climate change impacts on agriculture. In 2019 the IPCC stated that millions already suffer from food insecurity due to climate change and predicted decline in global crop production of 2% - 6% by decade. A 2021 study estimates that the severity of heatwave and drought impacts on crop production tripled over the last 50 years in Europe – from losses of 2.2% during 1964–1990 to losses of 7.3% in 1991–2015.
Angharad M. R. Gatehouse is an entomologist in the UK. Gatehouse is Professor of Invertebrate Molecular Biology at Newcastle University, is on the Council of the International Congress of Entomology, and is the Director of Expertise for BioEconomy.
Juliet Osborne is an entomologist and ecologist in the UK. She is professor of applied ecology at the University of Exeter and she looks at the health of social insects and how they pollinate plants.
Jane Memmott Hon.FRES is an ecologist and entomologist from the United Kingdom. She is professor of ecology at the University of Bristol. Her research focuses on community ecology and she is an expert on the interactions between insect pollinators and plants.
Jane Katharine Hill Hon.FRES is British ecologist, and professor of ecology at the University of York; research includes the effects of climate change and habitat degradation on insects.
References
- ↑ "Dealing with diamond-backs!". Agricology. 19 December 2018. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
- ↑ Sidders, Jack. "Collier appointed as Warwick crop centre director". www.hortweek.com. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
- ↑ "Marsh Christian Trust – Marsh Horticultural Science Award". www.marshchristiantrust.org. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
- ↑ "RHS honours exceptional achievements |". reckless-gardener.co.uk. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
- ↑ "Weedy camouflage". New Scientist. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
- ↑ "Confuse Pests With Companion Planting". GrowVeg. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
- ↑ Radford, Tim (8 September 2000). "GM apple a day may protect teeth". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077 . Retrieved 15 December 2019.
- ↑ "New monitoring scheme for diamondback moth". www.fruitnet.com. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
- ↑ "Seasonal pest threat warnings now available on-line | Agronomist & Arable Farmer" . Retrieved 15 December 2019.
- ↑ Savill, Richard (9 August 2007). "Ants move into houses". The Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235 . Retrieved 15 December 2019.
