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cje ›› 2011, Vol. 30 ›› Issue (01): 30-39.

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Effects of ground cover on the niches of main insect pests and their natural enemies in peach orchard.

WAN Nian-feng1, JI Xiang-yun1, JIANG Jie-xian1**, DAN Jia-gui2   

  1. 1Shanghai Low-carbon Agricultural Technical Engineering Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Protected Horticultural Technology, Ecological Environment Protection Research Institute, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai 201106, China|2Yunnan Administration for Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine, Kunming 650228, China
  • Online:2011-01-08 Published:2011-01-08

Abstract: Taking the peach orchards with and without ground cover Trifolium repens as test objects, an investigation was made on the quantities of main insect pests and their natural enemies on peach trees, with the niches of the insect pests and natural enemies measured. Among the main insect pests, Aromia bungii-in the peach orchard with ground cover T. repens had the widest horizontal niche breadth (0.999), Halyomorpha halys had the widest vertical niche breadth (0.964) and widest time niche breadth (0.795), while the corresponding values in the orchard without T. repens were 0.918, 0.792, and 0.632, respectively. Among the natural enemies, spiders in the peach orchard with ground cover T. repens had the widest horizontal niche (0.996), widest vertical niche (0.983), and widest time niche (0.932), while the corresponding values in the peach orchard without T. repens were 0.900, 0.800, and 0.818, respectively. The three-dimensional niche of the main insect pests in peach orchard with ground cover T. repens was Halyomorpha halys> Cicadellidae > Fulgoridae > Aphididae > Lyonetia clerkella > Dichocrocis punctiferalis > Aromia bungii > Grapholitha molesta > Pseudaulacaspis pentagona, while that in the peach orchard without T. repens was Aphididae > Cicadellidae > Halyomorpha halys > Aromia bungii > Grapholitha molesta > Fulgoridae > Pseudaulacaspis pentagona > Lyonetia clerkella > Dichocrocis punctiferalis. The three-dimensional niche of the main natural enemies in peach orchard with ground cover T. repens was spider > Orius spp. > Chrysopa > parasitic wasp > Coccinellidae > Syrphidae, while that in the peach orchard without T. repens was spider > Chrysopa > Coccinellidae > Parasitic wasp > Orius spp. > Syrphidae. The Orius spp., Coccinellidae, Syrphidae, and parasitic wasp in the peach orchard without T. repensall showed an evidence of delayed activity. The three-dimensional niches of natural enemy Orius spp. and main insect-pests overlapped greater in the orchard with T. repens than in that without T.repens, and the temporal synchrony and spatial similarity of natural enemies and insect-pests were overall superior in the orchard with T. repens. Our results showed the positive effect of planting clover as ground cover on the biological control of insect pests in peach orchard.

Key words: Nutrient distribution, Changjiang River estuary, Controlling mechanism