Workpackage 2

1.1.1   Task 2: Ecological engineering and new techniques of farming and plant protection

Resp.: Armin Bischoff (IGEPP) & Muriel Morison (Agronomie)

Contributions: AE, Agronomie, IGEPP, PSH

Objectives

-  Evaluating the pest control service of sown wildflower strips (monospecific and mixtures)

-  Testing the effect of alternative crop management systems on the control of insect and weed pests

-  Analysing the combined effects of vegetation and crop management on these ecosystem services

Task 2 is closely related to task 1 and will use the same target pest organisms. However, the focus will be on specific methods to improve ecosystem services at a local scale. The tests will be set up in different landscapes to evaluate the robustness of desired effects under different environmental conditions. Task 2 is also linked to task 3, 4 and 5. In a subset of task 2 experiments, the effect of ecological engineering on food web structure (task 3) and on pest population dynamics (task 4) will be analysed. The data of task 2 will be included in the models of task 5 to reduce pesticide and energy use.