Ecological Intensification Research Articles

Sustainable intensification of climate-resilient maize–chickpea system in semi-arid tropics through assessing factor productivity

Global trends show that the rapid increase in maize production is associated more with the expansion of maize growing areas than with rapid increases in yield. This is possible through achieving possible higher productivity through maize production practices intensification to meet the sustainable production. Therefore, a field experiment on “Ecological intensification of climate-resilient maize–chickpea cropping system” was conducted during consecutive three years from 2017–2018 to 2019–2020 at Main Agricultural Research Station, Dharwad, Karnataka, India. Results of three years pooled data revealed that ecological intensification (EI) treatment which comprises of all best management practices resulted in higher grain yield (7560 kg/ha) and stover yield compared to farmers’ practice (FP) and all other treatments which were deficit in one or other crop management practices. Similarly, in the succeeding winter season, significantly higher chickpea yield (797 kg/ha) was recorded in EI. Further EI practice recorded significant amount of soil organic carbon, available nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, and iron after completion of third cycle of experimentation (0.60%, 235.3 kg/ha,21.0 kg/ha,363.2 kg/ha,0.52 ppm and 5.2 ppm respectively). Soil enzymatic activity was also improved in EI practice over the years and improvement in each year was significant. Lower input energy use was in FP (17,855.2 MJ/ha). Whereas total output energy produced was the highest in EI practice (220,590 MJ ha−1) and lower output energy was recorded in EI–integrated nutrient management (INM) (149,255 MJ/ha). Lower energy productivity was noticed in EI-INM. Lower specific energy was recorded in FP and was followed by EI practice. Whereas higher specific energy was noticed is EI–INM. Each individual year and pooled data showed that EI practice recorded higher net return and benefit–cost ratio. The lower net returns were obtained in EI-integrated weed management (Rs. 51354.7/ha), EI-recommended irrigation management (Rs. 56,015.3/ha), integrated pest management (Rs. 59,569.7/ha) and farmers’ practice (Rs. 67,357.7/ha) which were on par with others.

Reducing pest pressure and insecticide use by increasing hedgerows in the landscape

Reducing pesticide use while maintaining agricultural production is a key challenge. Ecological theory predicts that landscape simplification is likely to increase insect pest outbreaks and limit their control by natural enemies, and this situation could boost insecticide use. Some studies have indeed detected that simpler landscapes were associated with higher insecticide use, but very few have demonstrated that this association is caused by landscape effects on pest abundance. Here, we analysed insecticide use and pest pressure in response to landscape simplification across 557 arable farms across France. Accounting for potentially confounding covariates, we found that lower cover of hedgerows in the landscape, but not semi natural areas, were associated with higher on-farm insecticide use. We also found that greater hedgerow coverage was associated with lower aphid pest pressure. Specifically, increasing the landscape-scale cover of hedgerows from 1 % to 3 % meant that insecticide use was halved. These findings suggest that restoring hedgerow cover at the landscape scale should be targeted in order to speed-up the ecological intensification of agriculture.

Coinnovación y asistencia técnica predial para contribuir a una transición sostenible de la ganadería en Uruguay

Abstract The transformation of the existing agrifood system towards more sustainable systems requires sociotechnical strategies that can boost radical changes. In Uruguay there is a community of practice committed to the sustainable development of family livestock farming which has developed alternative production practices, that improve the sustainability of farms based on ecological intensification, for more than fifteen years. Co-innovation as a modality of intervention was a fundamental aspect in the results achieved, being the work on farms a key factor, with a very special bond between extensionist and family. Taking this community of practice as a case study, this text characterizes co-innovation as a modality of intervention for farm technical assistance, offering a vision to enhance the scaling of the interventions and contribute to the sustainable transformation of livestock farming. Results are presented on: 1) general characteristics of the intervention modality, 2) stages of work and practices on farms, 3) characteristics of the family-extensionist bond and 4) lessons learned. Finally, key aspects are pointed out to scale co-innovation, in order to contribute to a sustainability transition of Uruguayan family livestock farming.

Enhanced Species Diversity Unlocked by Habitat Conservation in Agricultural Landscapes: New Perspectives on Ecological Weed Management and Sustainable Intensification<br>—Species Diversity and Habitat Conservation

Enhanced Species Diversity Unlocked by Habitat Conservation in Agricultural Landscapes: New Perspectives on Ecological Weed Management and Sustainable Intensification<br>—Species Diversity and Habitat Conservation

Enhancing Rice Yield in Paddy Fields Through Beneficial Organisms

In recent years, the global food-insecure population has increase. To improve food production while safeguarding the environment, ecological intensification techniques have become crucial. Considering rice's significance in feeding half the world, here we focused on the role of weeds, birds, and dragonflies, organisms that naturally occur in crop fields, in a paddy field in Brazil. We observed no significant differences in rice production between areas with or without a second weeding. However, access restriction experiments revealed that the presence of birds and dragonflies led to a remarkable 37% increase in rice yield, equivalent to approximately 71.6 additional bags per hectare. Results reinforce that promoting biodiversity-friendly practices in agriculture is essential for sustainable farming and aligns with global biodiversity initiatives, including COP 15, the 43rd Conference of FAO, and the Sustainable Rice Platform's Standard for Sustainable Rice Cultivation. Emphasizing these practices will not only enhance food production but also contribute to a healthier environment for generations to come.

Optimizing ecosystem function multifunctionality with cover crops for improved agronomic and environmental outcomes in dryland cropping systems

CONTEXTIntegrating cover crop mixtures into dryland crop-fallow rotations may foster ecological intensification by enhancing ecosystem function multifunctionality compared with conventional fallows and monoculture cover crops. However, the expression of functional traits in cover crop mixtures is influenced by arrays of agronomic and environmental filters that differently influence cover crop performance. OBJECTIVETo (1) determine the identity and diversity effects of different cover crop functional types on ecosystem functions and trade-offs, and (2) determine the optimal cover crop mixture that maximizes ecosystem function multifunctionality in a subtropical dryland environment. METHODSUsing three-site-year field experiments, we assessed if cover crop mixtures enhanced ecosystem function multifunctionality (MF) above that of monoculture cover crops and conventional fallow. We measured a range of ecosystem functions as indicators of three major ecosystem service categories: 1) provisioning services (biomass production, cash crop yield, and profitability); 2) supporting services (weed suppression, soil active carbon accrual, soil aggregate distribution, nitrogen (N) mineralization, N supply, and N retention); and 3) regulating services (parasitic nematode suppression, promotion of free-living nematodes, soil respiration, and soil water conservation). RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSWe found greater suite of ecosystem functions following mixture cover crops compared to monocultures, likely due to synergistic trait combinations that increased ecosystem function multifunctionality. The legume and forage brassica monocultures had consistently low multifunctionality (MF < 0.5). The oat:legume mixture resulted in the highest multifunctionality (MF > 0.5), driven by moderate water use and aboveground biomass production, and high groundcover residency, thus favouring higher cash crop yields and system profitability. They also generated overall improvements in soil health by providing additional carbon inputs, increasing the proportion of larger soil aggregates, and improving soil food web structure. We predicted the optimum cover crop mixture to maximize ecosystem function multifunctionality was 64% oat, 36% legume and 0% forage brassica. SIGNIFICANCEThis study offers novel insight into the agronomic and environmental impacts of replacing fallow with cover crops in a subtropical dryland. It shows that integrating mixture of oat:legume cover crops can increase multifunctionality. Further research is required on the extent of ecosystem trade-offs between competing ecosystem functions. The predicted optimum cover crop mixture composition will likely vary when different ecosystem functions are considered or if long-term experiment data are used. Hence, the recommended optimum cover crop mixture must be interpreted with caution and cover crop selection should be based on practical recommendations according to target management goals.

Eco‐efficiency of leys—The trigger for sustainable integrated crop‐dairy farming systems

AbstractThe specialisation of agricultural systems in Western Europe and the intensification of livestock and cropping production are intrinsically linked to substantial resource inputs. This intensified approach frequently leads to nutrient surpluses and biodiversity loss, resulting in detrimental environmental impacts. A transformative agricultural shift is imperative in light of climate and environmental protection objectives. Addressing this need, the Lindhof eco‐efficient pasture‐based milk production initiative, initiated in 2016, is a tangible manifestation of a productive and profitable dairy system integrated within a ley‐based Integrated Crop‐Livestock System (ICLS). Operational at the organically managed Lindhof farm, this approach involves a rotational stocking system of spring‐calving Jersey cows stocked on grass‐clover‐herb leys embedded within a cash crop rotation. The dairy cows benefit from these highly productive swards, rich in nutritive value comparable to concentrate feeding. At the same time, the cultivated crops derive advantages from the legacy effect of leys due to nutrient exchange facilitated by grazing excreta and residual crop matter. Compared to specialised systems, the ley‐based ICLS emerges as an alternative dairy production paradigm that supports many ecosystem services – including minimised nutrient losses, a lower carbon footprint and positive contributions to agro‐biodiversity. These outcomes are realised without compromising overall land‐use efficiency while reducing environmental and social costs of 20–30 Eurocent per kg of milk produced compared to specialised systems. Thus, the ley‐based ICLS conforms to the principles of ecological intensification, enhancing functional diversity within the agricultural landscape. Essentially, the Lindhof initiative represents a holistic and environmentally responsible approach to farming that could contribute to realising the EU Farm to Fork Strategy.

Microbiome and transcriptome analyses reveal the influence of calcined dolomite application on Eriocheir sinensis in a rice–crab co-culture system

Co-culture systems of rice and aquatic animals can contribute to the ecological intensification of agriculture by reducing nutrient loss and the need for N fertilizer application and by enhancing nutrient-use efficiency. However, the input of high-protein diets into paddy fields, to facilitate the growth of aquatic animals, has been found to increase N pollution and acidification of the soil. Although soil amendments have been widely used to ameliorate acidic soils, reduce N2O emissions, and improve agronomic production, the relationship between soil amendments and aquatic animal remains unclear. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of calcined dolomite (hereafter referred to as dolomite) as an acidic soil amendment and Ca–Mg supplement in rice–crab co-culture using Eriocheir sinensis crabs (Chinese mitten crabs). High-throughput sequencing was used to examine crab bacterial community composition and crab hepatopancreas biology. Although the water pH was significantly increased in the dolomite group, the number, composition, and diversity of bacteria identified in crab gut microbiome did not vary significantly between the dolomite and control groups. In the dolomite group, the probiotic agents Candidatus Hepatoplasma and Lactobacillus were highly abundant in the crab gut, and immune- and retinol metabolism-related genes were significantly upregulated in the crab hepatopancreas. Overall, dolomite application increased crab health and water pH. Dolomite is a low-cost amendment, with better stability, compared to other soil amendments, thus making it ideal for sustainable and clean rice–aquatic animal co-culture.

Editorial:Ecological intensification and sustainable intensification: increasing benefits to and reducing impacts on the environment to improve future agricultural and food systems

Editorial:Ecological intensification and sustainable intensification: increasing benefits to and reducing impacts on the environment to improve future agricultural and food systems

Pollination supply models from a local to global scale

Abstract. Ecological intensification has been embraced with great interest by the academic sector but is still rarely taken up by farmers because monitoring the state of different ecological functions is not straightforward. Modelling tools can represent a more accessible alternative of measuring ecological functions, which could help promote their use amongst farmers and other decision-makers. In the case of crop pollination, modelling has traditionally followed either a mechanistic or a data-driven approach. Mechanistic models simulate the habitat preferences and foraging behaviour of pollinators, while data-driven models associate georeferenced variables with real observations. Here, we test these two approaches to predict pollination supply and validate these predictions using data from a newly released global dataset on pollinator visitation rates to different crops. We use one of the most extensively used models for the mechanistic approach, while for the data-driven approach, we select from among a comprehensive set of state-of-the-art machine-learning models. Moreover, we explore a mixed approach, where data-derived inputs, rather than expert assessment, inform the mechanistic model. We find that, at a global scale, machine-learning models work best, offering a rank correlation coefficient between predictions and observations of pollinator visitation rates of 0.56. In turn, the mechanistic model works moderately well at a global scale for wild bees other than bumblebees. Biomes characterized by temperate or Mediterranean forests show a better agreement between mechanistic model predictions and observations, probably due to more comprehensive ecological knowledge and therefore better parameterization of input variables for these biomes. This study highlights the challenges of transferring input variables across multiple biomes, as expected given the different composition of species in different biomes. Our results provide clear guidance on which pollination supply models perform best at different spatial scales – the first step towards bridging the stakeholder–academia gap in modelling ecosystem service delivery under ecological intensification.

A conceptual model of cow-calf systems functioning on native grasslands in a subtropical region.

Cow-calf systems utilise grazing of native grasslands for beef cattle propagation and constitute the principal livestock activity in the Pampas and Campos areas. Cow-calf system sustainability is questioned because of their low production levels and negative environmental impact. Ecological intensification has been proposed as a way out that constitutes an alternative to dominant discourses based on increasing external-input use. There is, however, a considerable gap between the availability of scientific knowledge to promote the ecological intensification of cow-calf systems and farmers' practices. This gap between scientific knowledge availability and farmers' practices can be made explicit, and its consequences for systems performance can be explored through a conceptual model. Conceptual models are tools to build a systems view of the interactions among the production system's state variables, farm management, and resulting system performance. In this paper, we develop a conceptual model of cow-calf systems on native grasslands of the Pampas and Campos regions to support the diagnosis and redesign of farm systems towards ecological intensification. We apply the conceptual model to analyse cow-calf systems in Uruguay, drawing on a survey among 250 Uruguayan livestock farmers. Using the model, we show that in Uruguay, the level of implementation of strategic, tactical, and decision-supporting techniques is low. Consequently, most farms have poor control of the grazing intensity and timing of main events in the production cycle. This results in ample room to improve the productive and environmental performance of most cow-calf farms in Uruguay. We distinguished three broad types of cow-calf systems based on the degree of implementation of techniques, the evolution of state variables throughout the year, and productive indicators. These types imply different departure points and strategies for a sustainability transition process. The conceptual model designed in this paper may support the cow-calf systems sustainability transition in the context of co-innovation processes by aiding the interactive diagnosis and redesign of farm systems.

Farmers in the transition toward sustainability: what is the role of their entrepreneurial identity?

IntroductionThe European Union has recently prompted a shift toward Ecological Intensification (EI) practices, aiming to harmonize agricultural productivity and environmental conservation. Despite the benefits of EI, its implementation has been limited, as farmers face challenges in business reorganization and supply chain adaptation. This paper investigates the role of contract farming (CF) in promoting the adoption of sustainable practices among Italian wheat producers. Specifically, it analyzes the influence of farmers’ entrepreneurial identity on their engagement in such initiatives.MethodsUsing the case study of Barilla Group’s Carta del Mulino initiative, an innovative contract farming scheme incentivizing sustainable EI practices, the study explores the relationship between entrepreneurial identity and participation in CF schemes supporting EI. Data from a sample of 314 soft wheat farmers in four regions of Northern Italy were collected to examine the role of entrepreneurial identity in the adoption of sustainable practices and participation in CF schemes. To evaluate the research hypotheses, two distinct econometric models were developed.Results and discussionThe findings reveal that farmers with a more developed entrepreneurial identity are more likely to adopt more sustainable agricultural practices and engage in contractual schemes involving EI practices. The study highlights the importance of fostering and supporting farmers’ entrepreneurial identity while increasing their knowledge of alternative agricultural techniques to address the challenges of the agricultural sector. This integration of individual perspectives (entrepreneurial identity) with a systems view (contract farming schemes) offers valuable insights for future research, policy, and practice in agri-food systems sustainability.

Framework to develop an open‐source forage data network to improve primary productivity and enhance system resiliency

AbstractData repositories using legacy data are needed to minimize research redundancy, enable knowledge synthesis, and optimize productivity and resiliency of agricultural systems. However, a framework is needed to develop an online searchable database to identify optimum systems for sustainable agricultural intensification and diversification, particularly for forages. Therefore, this paper outlines the development of a community‐driven forage database (Forage Data Hub) using legacy datasets encompassing multiple temporal and spatial scales and species to analyze system functionality and resiliency. Specific steps outlined included (1) developing minimum and preferred data requirements; (2) data standardization, structuring, and compilation; (3) creating a data thesaurus, data shapes, and data model; and (4) creating a web‐based system interface to facilitate database access. We demonstrate utility of curating these diverse datasets by quantifying forage system resiliency during extreme weather occurrences (relationship between standardized yields and yields during years receiving 25th percentile of the 30‐year normal precipitation) for three systems (monocrop annual, monocrop perennial, and mixed perennial) spanning 52,997 data entries (108 unique locations and 51 years). Overall, during low‐precipitation years, monocrop annual systems achieved 67% of their expected yield, while monocrop perennial systems achieved 93% and mixed perennial systems achieved 112% of potential yields. Therefore, diverse perennial systems were more resilient to climate‐related stresses compared to annual forage systems. Development of the US Forage Data Hub underscores the benefits of community‐driven data sharing and curation for a given commodity to provide system‐level sustainability assessments for identifying practices that promote ecological intensification and resiliency to climatic stochasticity.

Vertebrate diversity in productive landscapes in Mediterranean Chile: The role of neighboring natural vegetation

Land-use change is a major cause of biodiversity loss. Particularly, the expansion of the agricultural frontier results from an increased resource demand by the human population. A biodiverse community provides positive ecosystem services for natural areas and commercial crops. Ecological intensification aims to increase crop yields while conserving biodiversity and the ecosystem services that it provides. This study aimed to assess vertebrate diversity in two commercial crops (apple and cherry) along a gradient of surrounding natural vegetation. We hypothesized that vertebrate composition would differ along the vegetation gradient in the landscape, and species diversity would increase in crops surrounded by more natural or semi-natural vegetation. For this purpose, we set up 54 camera trap points within the orchards. Vertebrate composition, abundance, and diversity were significantly different along the gradient, with those crops surrounded mainly by natural areas having the highest values of diversity and abundance of native species, but exotic species explained most of the differences. We conclude that maintaining natural areas nearby crop fields would enhance their biodiversity and the ecosystemic services native species provide.

Are agricultural extension systems ready to scale up ecological intensification in East Africa? A literature review with particular attention to the Push-Pull Technology (PPT)

AbstractAgricultural extension, or advisory services, have a key role to play in supporting farmers’ learning and adoption of new practices and technologies. This paper analyses gaps and needs which require addressing in order for extension systems to more effectively contribute to the upscaling of ecological intensification approaches in East African smallholder agriculture. Our starting point is the push-pull technology (PPT), a promising approach. PPT originated in East Africa and is being continuously improved through cycles of interdisciplinary and participatory experimentation. Despite well-documented benefits to farmers and the environment, more institutional support from agricultural extension systems (AES) is needed for PPT to realise significant impact on poverty reduction, food security, and sustainability. Departing from this assessment, we review literature on AES in five East African countries. After clarifying the AES characteristics that ecological intensification requires, emphasising the capacity to embrace complexity, we identify four thematic areas that are in urgent need of attention: first, widely recognised problems with access and inclusiveness have seen welcome innovation but remain substantial. Second, information and communication technologies provide many benefits and new possibilities, but expectations must be tempered. Third, pluralistic AES present coordination challenges that risk undermining and misdirecting extension. Finally, the political-economic underpinnings of extension require critical scrutiny and strategic interventions. While many challenges threaten extension effectiveness broadly, we highlight implications for ecological intensification approaches like PPT. Our insights thus speak to the broader question of how to design and implement extension for sustainable agricultural development in East Africa.

How to Improve the Benefits of Short-Term Fallow on Soil Physicochemical and Microbial Properties: A Case Study from the Yellow River Delta

Fallowing is regarded as an effective method for the self-recovery management of farmland and is generally used in cultivated land management. Studies have shown that long-term fallow has many ecological and environmental benefits. However, the long-term fallowing of farmland has also caused a decline in the grain production of farmland for a period of time. Short-term fallow can reduce the risk of food insecurity, but there are few studies on short-term fallow, especially on the comparation of different fallowing management methods and their relationship with soil microbial ecology. Our study has focused on seven treatments. Firstly, the traditional farming method was set as the control group. Native vegetation and crop-pasture vegetation were set as the fallowing vegetation. There were three irrigation–fertilization levels for each vegetation. The effects of the sampling times showed that the impact of fallow management on the soil properties became gradually stronger with time. The interactions between the sampling times and treatments showed a significant impact on organic carbon and total nitrogen. There was a significant impact of fallow management on the inorganic carbon accumulation and ammonia nitrogen consumption. Microbial biomass carbon was significantly increased by fallowing. Fallowing with irrigation could enhance the soil microbial nitrogen transformation. Some genera associated with assisting diseases were significantly increased by the native vegetation fallow and grass fallow with farmyard manure. The fallow with native vegetation showed more advantageous ecological benefits than the crop-pasture vegetation fallow. Although the crop-pasture vegetation followed the principle of ecological intensification, it failed to show better ecological benefits in the short fallow period. In irrigation management, the benefits of native vegetation and crop-pasture vegetation are similar. However, considering the lower cost of crop-pasture vegetation, crop-pasture vegetation fallow with irrigation could be a better choice. If it is difficult to implement conservation measures during the fallowing process, native vegetation fallowing without management may be the only fallowing choice.

Developing perennial wildflower strips for use in Mediterranean orchard systems.

To support sustainable food production and the delivery of ecosystem services through ecological intensification, wildflower strips have become a popular strategy. Despite their success in temperate orchard systems, they remain understudied in Mediterranean ecosystems, which poses a significant barrier to uptake. In order to further promote their adoption, seed mixes must be optimised for commercial orchard systems and for the Mediterranean climate. Plant species should be selected for their consistent performance, whilst the availability of resources for ecosystem service providers determines the quality of the wildflower strip. In this study, the suitability of 12 native perennial forbs and two tussock-forming grass species for wildflower strips in commercial Citrus orchards was assessed over a 3-year period. Distinct resources for natural enemies according to the different plant growth stages were used an indicator of wildflower strip quality. The wildflower strips were managed under two different cutting strategies: (i) standard management, in which wildflower strips were cut once annually in February, and (ii) active management, in which wildflower strips were cut two additional times each year. The establishment and success of the sown species were compared. The influence of wildflower strips and their management on plant species richness, community structure, and the provision of resources was compared with a control treatment, in which alleyways were managed conventionally by cutting any naturally occurring vegetation to a height of ≤5 cm, four to five times annual. For the first time, the performance of native perennial plant species has been assessed in Mediterranean orchard systems and a seed mix developed for targeting pest regulation services. The wildflower strips were successful in increasing plant species richness and the available resources expected to support natural enemies. However, only wildflower strips managed with cutting once annually enhanced vegetation cover relative to the control, whilst extending the flowering period. This study therefore provides crucial tools for the further development of sustainable approaches to food production in Mediterranean orchard systems.

Ecological intensification of agriculture through biodiversity management: introduction

Ecological intensification of agriculture through biodiversity management: introduction

Wild Floral Visitors Are More Important Than Honeybees as Pollinators of Avocado Crops

Wild insects provide pollination services in agroecosystems. Avocado is an economically important crop grown in the Chilean Mediterranean climate region and exported worldwide. Avocado pollination is managed using honeybee hives, while the role of wild insects as pollinators remains poorly known. We quantified the relative contributions of wild floral visitors and honeybees to the fruit set of avocados in two contrasting seasons (2015 and 2016) in Central Chile. Observations were made in 60 trees grown nearby (~300 m) to remnant patches of native sclerophyll vegetation. We found that honeybees and wild insects accounted for 48.6% and 51.4% of total floral visitation, respectively, with a 68% taxonomic similarity of floral visitors between seasons. The presence of honeybees significantly modulated the floral visitor composition and modified plant-pollination network parameters, which resulted in the biotic homogenization of the interaction network, through the increase of shared tree–floral visitor interactions, to the detriment of exclusive interactions. Finally, wild insects were more effective than honeybees in pollinating avocado trees and their contribution was greatest during the dry year. Thus, honeybees alone cannot be relied upon to deliver maximum pollination. We highlight ecological intensification practices to encourage wild insect visits and avoid native vegetation replacement with orchards. Therefore, we emphasize that future ecological intensification research should address agricultural practices to promote wild insects and evaluate the role of native vegetation as wild pollinator habitat in agricultural landscapes.

Intercropping Cover Crops for a Vital Ecosystem Service: A Review of the Biocontrol of Insect Pests in Tea Agroecosystems.

The intercropping of cover crops has been adopted in several agroecosystems, including tea agroecosystems, which promotes ecological intensification. Prior studies have shown that growing cover crops in tea plantations provided different ecological services, including the biocontrol of pests. Cover crops enrich soil nutrients, reduce soil erosion, suppress weeds and insect pests, and increase the abundance of natural enemies (predators and parasitoids). We have reviewed the potential cover crops that can be incorporated into the tea agroecosystem, particularly emphasizing the ecological services of cover crops in pest control. Cover crops were categorized into cereals (buckwheat, sorghum), legumes (guar, cowpea, tephrosia, hairy indigo, and sunn hemp), aromatic plants (lavender, marigold, basil, and semen cassiae), and others (maize, mountain pepper, white clover, round-leaf cassia, and creeping indigo). Legumes and aromatic plants are the most potent cover crop species that can be intercropped in monoculture tea plantations due to their exceptional benefits. These cover crop species improve crop diversity and help with atmospheric nitrogen fixation, including with the emission of functional plant volatiles, which enhances the diversity and abundance of natural enemies, thereby assisting in the biocontrol of tea insect pests. The vital ecological services rendered by cover crops to monoculture tea plantations, including regarding the prevalent natural enemies and their pivotal role in the biocontrol of insect pests in the tea plantation, have also been reviewed. Climate-resilient crops (sorghum, cowpea) and volatile blends emitting aromatic plants (semen cassiae, marigold, flemingia) are recommended as cover crops that can be intercropped in tea plantations. These recommended cover crop species attract diverse natural enemies and suppress major tea pests (tea green leaf hopper, white flies, tea aphids, and mirid bugs). It is presumed that the incorporation of cover crops within the rows of tea plantations will be a promising strategy for mitigating pest attacks via the conservation biological control, thereby increasing tea yield and conserving agrobiodiversity. Furthermore, a cropping system with intercropped cover crop species would be environmentally benign and offer the opportunity to increase natural enemy abundance, delaying pest colonization and/or preventing pest outbreaks for pest management sustainability.