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10 July 2020 Impact of Years in Bahiagrass and Cultivation Techniques in Organic Vegetable Production on Epigeal Arthropod Populations
Brent V. Brodbeck, P. C. Andersen, C. Bliss, Russell F. Mizell III
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Abstract

Plantings of perennial grasses have been shown to be an effective means to enhance soil qualities for organic production. Similarly, tillage methods can significantly impact production in organic crop production systems. We have previously examined direct effects of these practices on crop yields, profitability, and soil quality for rotations of organic vegetables in a 4-yr study in northern Florida, but less is known about the effects of these treatments on arthropods. We report here on experiments that used large fields of Argentine bahiagrass, Paspalum notatum Flügge (Poaceae) ‘Tifton 9,’ converted to seasonal vegetable rotations of oat/rye, bush beans, soybeans, and broccoli in a nested design using 4 levels (yr) of continuous bahiagrass production prior to vegetable rotations and 2 tillage methods (conventional and strip tillage). During the fourth yr of the study, we conducted pitfall trapping on a subset of plots involving all 8 treatments (4 bahiagrass treatments and 2 tillage treatments) to examine effects on epigeal arthropods. Over 10,000 organisms and 48 species were identified with 36 arthropod species comprising greater than 97% of the collected specimens. Fields with increasing yr in bahiagrass significantly increased the number of carabid beetles, whereas there was a decline in total herbivores. Tillage treatments impacted arthropod abundance with a noted decline in total carabids collected in strip tilled plots. Pest management implications of these treatments are discussed.

Brent V. Brodbeck, P. C. Andersen, C. Bliss, and Russell F. Mizell III "Impact of Years in Bahiagrass and Cultivation Techniques in Organic Vegetable Production on Epigeal Arthropod Populations," Florida Entomologist 103(2), 151-159, (10 July 2020). https://doi.org/10.1653/024.103.0201
Published: 10 July 2020
KEYWORDS
Carabidae
perennial grasses
pitfall traps
rotations
tillage
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