Specific cover crops may help attract insects that target harmful pests
Different cover crops may affect how plants defend themselves against pests—including by attracting more insects that eat harmful caterpillars—according to a new study led by researchers at Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.
Different cover crops may affect how plants defend themselves against pests—including by attracting more insects that eat harmful caterpillars—according to a new study led by researchers at Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.
The short version
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- The research, published in the journal Basic and Applied Ecology , analyzed the effects and resulting trade-offs of different cover crops, which are plants grown between growing seasons to help protect and enrich the soil.
- However, these plants also had lower levels of benzoxazinoid—a natural toxin present in some plants that can act as a pesticide, antifungal and feeding deterrent.
What happened
The researchers also found that predator insects preferred to eat caterpillars from corn grown in soil previously occupied by pea cover crops. Jared Ali, associate professor of entomology, director of the Center for Chemical Ecology and corresponding author on the paper, said the findings offer practical solutions for growers using techniques they're already familiar with.
Why it matters
"This allows me to go into the field and tell growers that the cover crops they select changes its potential resistance to pathogens and insects, and that each insect species may respond differently to each crop," he said.
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