| title: | Occurrence of carabids and hymenopterous parasitoids in different crops depending on growing technologies and field locations. |
|---|---|
| reg no: | ETF5736 |
| project type: | Estonian Science Foundation research grant |
| subject: |
4.2. Crop Sciences (inc. Horticulture) |
| status: | accepted |
| institution: | EAU Faculty of Agronomy |
| head of project: | Anne Luik |
| duration: | 01.01.2004 - 31.12.2007 |
| description: | To preserve the quality of environment for the life of the coming generations, it is necessary to develop new sustainable technologies in all the branches of economy including agriculture..In plant cultivation it means that the use of mineral fertlizers and pesticides should be significantly limited or even entirely given up (organic agriculture). In these conditions the regulation of the pest density must be achieved primarily by increasing the importance of natural enemies in agrocenosis so that they might keep the number of pests below the economic damage threshold. In agroecosystems the key beneficial insects are carabids and hymenopterous parasitoids. For promotion beneficial insects it is important to know their taxonomic composition and biology in different cropping system conditions. In Estonia the hymenopterous parasitoids have been very poorly studied. The aim of present study is to establish: -¿ the influence of agrotechnology (tillage, fertilization, plant protection methods etc) on the species compostion and the population density of carabids and parasitoids, ¿ the influence of the size of the fields and their edges on both - the species composition and the density of population of carabids and parasitoids, ¿ how carabids and parasitoids are influencing the key pests of studied crops ( spring and winter oilseed rape, winter wheat, raspberry). In all the crops three different technologies (conventional, integrated and organic) will be used. The establishment of the above given aspects will allow us to assess which cultivation technology and field margins are promoting parasitoids and predators presence in agrocenosis.Results enable us to give recommendations for cropping and landscape designing so that the role of carabids and hymenopterous parasitoids is increasing in plant protection. |
| project group | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| no | name | institution | position | |
| 1. | Liina Hanni | EPMÜ | doktorant | |
| 2. | Anne Luik | EAU Faculty of Agronomy | professor | |
| 3. | Tiiu Tarang | EPMÜ | doktorant | |
| 4. | Viljo Vabrit | EPMÜ | ||
| 5. | Eve Veromann | EPMÜ | doktorant | |