Measuring natural enemy dispersal from cover crops in a California vineyard

Authors: IRVIN, NICOLA - University Of California; Hagler, James; HODDLE, MARK - University Of California

Submitted to: Biological Control
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/20/2018
Publication Date: 7/18/2018
Citation: Irvin, N.A., Hagler, J.R., Hoddle, M.S. 2018. Measuring natural enemy dispersal from cover crops in a California vineyard. Biological Control. 126:15-25.

Interpretive Summary: Knowledge of arthropod predator and insect parasitoid dispersal patterns is critical for effective biological control of grape pests. An ARS scientist at Maricopa, Arizona and scientists at The University of California at Riverside developed a novel “triple mark” method to track arthropod movement in a vineyard containing a buckwheat cover crop. Arthropods were marked directly in the buckwheat plots using a “triple mark’ solution containing yellow dye, casein protein and albumin protein. In turn, the abundance of marked and unmarked natural enemies at a gradient of distances from the treated buckwheat plots into the vineyard were recorded. The triple mark system proved effective for monitoring arthropod movement in the agroecosystem. Specifically, data revealed that buckwheat refuges planted every 6th (i.e., 18 m) or 10th (30 m) row within the vineyard could increase the biological control services rendered by the natural enemy complex on key grape pests.

Technical Abstract: Dispersal of natural enemies from buckwheat cover crop plots embedded within a southern California vineyard during spring and summer was investigated by using an arthropod mark-capture technique. Specifically, arthropods were marked in flowering buckwheat plots by spraying plants with a “triple mark” solution containing yellow dye, casein protein, and albumin protein. In turn, we recorded the abundance of marked and unmarked natural enemies at a gradient of distances from the treated buckwheat plots into the vineyard. Natural enemies marked with yellow dye were identified visually, while the presence of casein and albumin protein marks were detected using anti-casein and anti-albumin enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). The percentage of natural enemies marked with yellow dye indicated that spiders, predatory thrips (Aeolothripidae), and minute pirate bugs (Anthocoridae) dispersed 9 m (i.e., 3 rows) from marked buckwheat refuges over a six day period. The percentage of leafhopper parasitoids (Anagrus erythroueurae S. Trjapitzin and Chiappini) marked with yellow dye indicated that 22% of marked parasitoids were captured up to 18 m (i.e., six rows) to 30 m (i.e., 10 rows) from buckwheat plots up to six days after marks were applied to cover crops. Up to 17% of natural enemies marked with yellow dye, albumin, or casein were captured in non-treated control plots, suggesting that parasitoids, spiders, minute pirate bugs and predatory thrips were able to cross the 36 m buffer zones used to separate marked buckwheat plots and unmarked control plots. Results comparing the percentage of parasitoids and ‘other beneficials’ marked with a double mark (where any two of the three marks were detected) between distances in buckwheat plots indicated that double marked parasitoids were found up to 30 m (i.e., 10 rows) from buckwheat refuges, while no double marked parasitoids were captured in control plots. No triple marked arthropods were captured. To exploit the dispersal capabilities of natural enemies, these results suggest that buckwheat refuges planted in California vineyards could be planted every 6th (i.e., 18 m) or 10th (30 m) row to gain potential benefits from providing natural enemies with flowering buckwheat refuges.