Abstract
Description of the subject. Intercropping is a kind of polyculture, growing two or more crops together. This practice should improve pest management mainly by increasing predator diversity. It was hypothesized that the intercropping of narrow-leafed lupin with spring triticale would increase the number and diversity of rove beetles compared to monocultures of the aforementioned crops. Objectives. The aim of the research was to determine the effect of intercropping of narrow-leafed lupin with spring triticale on rove beetle abundance and diversity. Method. Over a three-year period, rove beetles were trapped with the use of pitfall traps, and adults were identified to species. The experiment was carried out on a narrow-leafed lupin and spring triticale crop sown as monocultures, and on two mixtures with different proportions of lupin seeds. Results. In total, in all treatments 100 rove beetle species were found, classified into three trophic groups. The most numerous forms were predatory zoophages, which were followed by parasites and saprophages. Staphylinidae abundance and ecological significance decreased with increasing degree of habitat diversity in comparison to crops grown in the pure stand. The same response to intercropping was observed in the case of zoophages. Conclusions. Contrary to what was hypothesized, the abundance and diversity of rove beetle decreased when narrow-leafed lupin and spring triticale were grown together compared to their monoculture. Presumably, the higher abundance of rove beetle in lupin and spring triticale grown in the pure stand is mostly the result of better food supply in monocultures during the whole season.
Highlights
Staphylinidae are among the most numerous and most important families of epigeic invertebrates within agroecosystems, with respect to their activity and abundance (Obrtel, 1971)
In 2010, the number of rove beetles was significantly higher in narrow-leafed lupin and spring triticale grown in the pure stands (T1 and T3) in comparison to its mixtures (T4 and treatment 6 (T6)) (Table 3)
In 2011, rove beetle abundance was significantly higher in lupin (T1) and its mixture of 27% (T3) in comparison to 14% of lupin seeds (T4) and triticale as pure stand (T6)
Summary
Staphylinidae are among the most numerous and most important families of epigeic invertebrates within agroecosystems, with respect to their activity and abundance (Obrtel, 1971). More than 47,000 species are described worldwide, and from 1,500 to 1,700 species are known in Central Europe (Zerche, 1994; VásquezVélez et al, 2010) They are effective predators in arable fields, and are useful in biological pest control (Krooss & Schaefer, 1998; Balog et al, 2008). Most of the staphylinids are unspecialized predators of different pests threatening field crops, e.g. aphids or caterpillars. Their preying on aphids has especially been taken into consideration (Good & Giller, 1991; Birken & Cloyd, 2007). In Hungary rove beetle species composition differs by crop (apple, pear and wheat), as well as soil composition and surrounding habitat (Balog et al, 2008)
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