Who is the culprit: Is pest infestation responsible for crop yield losses close to semi‐natural habitats?
Abstract Semi‐natural habitats (SNHs) are becoming increasingly scarce in modern agricultural landscapes. This may reduce natural ecosystem services such as pest control with its putatively positive effect on crop production. In agreement with other studies, we recently reported wheat yield reductio...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2021-10-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.8046 |
| _version_ | 1818558839447879680 |
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| author | Larissa Raatz Karin Pirhofer Walzl Marina E. H. Müller Christoph Scherber Jasmin Joshi |
| author_facet | Larissa Raatz Karin Pirhofer Walzl Marina E. H. Müller Christoph Scherber Jasmin Joshi |
| author_sort | Larissa Raatz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Semi‐natural habitats (SNHs) are becoming increasingly scarce in modern agricultural landscapes. This may reduce natural ecosystem services such as pest control with its putatively positive effect on crop production. In agreement with other studies, we recently reported wheat yield reductions at field borders which were linked to the type of SNH and the distance to the border. In this experimental landscape‐wide study, we asked whether these yield losses have a biotic origin while analyzing fungal seed and fungal leaf pathogens, herbivory of cereal leaf beetles, and weed cover as hypothesized mediators between SNHs and yield. We established experimental winter wheat plots of a single variety within conventionally managed wheat fields at fixed distances either to a hedgerow or to an in‐field kettle hole. For each plot, we recorded the fungal infection rate on seeds, fungal infection and herbivory rates on leaves, and weed cover. Using several generalized linear mixed‐effects models as well as a structural equation model, we tested the effects of SNHs at a field scale (SNH type and distance to SNH) and at a landscape scale (percentage and diversity of SNHs within a 1000‐m radius). In the dry year of 2016, we detected one putative biotic culprit: Weed cover was negatively associated with yield values at a 1‐m and 5‐m distance from the field border with a SNH. None of the fungal and insect pests, however, significantly affected yield, neither solely nor depending on type of or distance to a SNH. However, the pest groups themselves responded differently to SNH at the field scale and at the landscape scale. Our findings highlight that crop losses at field borders may be caused by biotic culprits; however, their negative impact seems weak and is putatively reduced by conventional farming practices. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T00:17:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ab3b482585ce472d89d605c88f33c9fc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T00:17:31Z |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-ab3b482585ce472d89d605c88f33c9fc2022-12-21T23:25:26ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582021-10-011119132321324610.1002/ece3.8046Who is the culprit: Is pest infestation responsible for crop yield losses close to semi‐natural habitats?Larissa Raatz0Karin Pirhofer Walzl1Marina E. H. Müller2Christoph Scherber3Jasmin Joshi4Institute of Biochemistry and Biology Universität PotsdamUniversität Potsdam Potsdam GermanyLeibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) e.V Müncheberg GermanyLeibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) e.V Müncheberg GermanyZoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig (ZFMK) Centre for Biodiversity Monitoring Bonn GermanyBerlin‐Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB) Berlin GermanyAbstract Semi‐natural habitats (SNHs) are becoming increasingly scarce in modern agricultural landscapes. This may reduce natural ecosystem services such as pest control with its putatively positive effect on crop production. In agreement with other studies, we recently reported wheat yield reductions at field borders which were linked to the type of SNH and the distance to the border. In this experimental landscape‐wide study, we asked whether these yield losses have a biotic origin while analyzing fungal seed and fungal leaf pathogens, herbivory of cereal leaf beetles, and weed cover as hypothesized mediators between SNHs and yield. We established experimental winter wheat plots of a single variety within conventionally managed wheat fields at fixed distances either to a hedgerow or to an in‐field kettle hole. For each plot, we recorded the fungal infection rate on seeds, fungal infection and herbivory rates on leaves, and weed cover. Using several generalized linear mixed‐effects models as well as a structural equation model, we tested the effects of SNHs at a field scale (SNH type and distance to SNH) and at a landscape scale (percentage and diversity of SNHs within a 1000‐m radius). In the dry year of 2016, we detected one putative biotic culprit: Weed cover was negatively associated with yield values at a 1‐m and 5‐m distance from the field border with a SNH. None of the fungal and insect pests, however, significantly affected yield, neither solely nor depending on type of or distance to a SNH. However, the pest groups themselves responded differently to SNH at the field scale and at the landscape scale. Our findings highlight that crop losses at field borders may be caused by biotic culprits; however, their negative impact seems weak and is putatively reduced by conventional farming practices.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.8046arable weedscereal leaf beetlefungal pathogensherbivorystructural equation modelwheat |
| spellingShingle | Larissa Raatz Karin Pirhofer Walzl Marina E. H. Müller Christoph Scherber Jasmin Joshi Who is the culprit: Is pest infestation responsible for crop yield losses close to semi‐natural habitats? Ecology and Evolution arable weeds cereal leaf beetle fungal pathogens herbivory structural equation model wheat |
| title | Who is the culprit: Is pest infestation responsible for crop yield losses close to semi‐natural habitats? |
| title_full | Who is the culprit: Is pest infestation responsible for crop yield losses close to semi‐natural habitats? |
| title_fullStr | Who is the culprit: Is pest infestation responsible for crop yield losses close to semi‐natural habitats? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Who is the culprit: Is pest infestation responsible for crop yield losses close to semi‐natural habitats? |
| title_short | Who is the culprit: Is pest infestation responsible for crop yield losses close to semi‐natural habitats? |
| title_sort | who is the culprit is pest infestation responsible for crop yield losses close to semi natural habitats |
| topic | arable weeds cereal leaf beetle fungal pathogens herbivory structural equation model wheat |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.8046 |
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