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United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications
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Habitat Manipulation Of The Apple Orchard Floor To Increase Ground-Dwelling Predators And Predation Of Cydia Pomonella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), Clarissa R. Mathews, Dale G. Bottrell, M. W. Brown
Habitat Manipulation Of The Apple Orchard Floor To Increase Ground-Dwelling Predators And Predation Of Cydia Pomonella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), Clarissa R. Mathews, Dale G. Bottrell, M. W. Brown
United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications
Augmenting generalist predator populations in new apple (Malus domestica Bork) plantings could potentially aid in the establishment of balanced orchard ecosystems that are less susceptible to pest outbreaks. Habitat can be an important factor in retaining predators in a system and can affect predator efficiency. We investigated the potential of increasing a complex of generalist ground-dwelling predators and enhancing biological control in a young 'Golden Delicious' apple orchard through ground habitat manipulation. We modified the orchard floor with four comparative habitat treatments: (1) detritus-rich compost mulch layer, (2) detritus-free synthetic mulch layer, (3) herbicide-treated vegetation thatch, and (4) bare …