Plant protection in spring cereal production with reduced tillage. II. Pests and beneficial insects

In five field experiments run for four years the infestation of pests and the activity of carabids and staphylinids were compared in autumn ploughed and reduced tillage (no-tillage or spring harrowing) plots. Differences were generally most evident in experiments with no-tillage. Weed cover was denser in reduced tillage, and could explain much of the differences. The agromyzid Chromatomyia fuscula was most common in autumn ploughed plots, probably due to healthier plants. Thrips numbers were correlated with grain quality in no-tillage plots. Field slugs were most common in reduced tillage, and were positively correlated with weed cover. Generally, more carabids and staphylinids were caught in reduced tillage. This was especially true for Amara-species and Loricera pilicornis, Philonthus cognatus and Tachinus signatus, which also were positively correlated with weed cover. Aloconota gregaria, Bembidion quadrimaculatum, B. lampros, Harpalus rufipes and Trechus quadristriatus were more common in autumn ploughed plots, several of them preferring open soil. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.