Significance of flowering wild herbs in boundary strips and fields for flower-visiting beneficial insects
1988
Molthan, J. (Biologische Bundesanstalt fuer Land- und Forstwirtschaft, Darmstadt (Germany, F.R.). Inst. fuer Biologische Schaedlingsbekaempfung) | Ruppert, V.
The present investigations are a first attempt to understand the significance of flowering wild herbs in agricultural areas. We were able to proof that the availability of flowers in sufficiently wide boundary strips attract beneficial insects. The density of zoophagous Syrpidae and at the same time the beneficials' potential depends very much on the density of flowers. The diversity of Syrphids was significantly increased on boundary strips with high flower availability. Some wild herbs in fields and on boundary strips seem to be especially suitable for the attraction and nutrition of flower visiting beneficials. To those belong primarily Apiaceae (Pastinaca sativa, Daucus carota) and Asteraceae (Matricaria chamomilla, M. maritima, Sonchus arvensis) on the basis of the morphology of their blossoms. For an effective encouragement of flower visiting beneficial insects it is recommended to lay out more herbicide- and insecticide-free crop edges and to preserve or else arrange new boundary strips in connection with measures taken to lower the intensity of agricultural production (extensivation measures)
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