USING COVER CROPS TO MANAGE ARTHROPOD PESTS OF ORCHARDS - A REVIEW

A review of entomological studies of cover crops for tree nuts, pome fruits, stone fruits, and citrus suggests both opportunities and challenges. Various cover crops harbor distinctive complexes of beneficial and pest arthropods, and diverse trophic relationships have been well documented in the literature. More study is required to determine: (1) whether cover cropping modifies orchard microclimate and target crop nutritional status and thereby influences pest dynamics; (2) whether and how cover crop species composition, spatial interspersion of species, and management by irrigation, mowing, and tillage affect build-up and movement of arthropods, and resultant pest damage to the target crop.