Impact of Cultural Practices on Arthropod Abundance in Soybean Fields

摘要

The research was carried out during 1993 and 1994 in Gary Leosing's organic bean plots at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Agricultural Research and Development Center near Ithaca, NE, USA. The soybeans received three different treatments: 1) organic or manure, 2) fertilizers plus herbicides, and 3) fertilizers only. Pitfall traps were placed in the soybean plots to collect the arthropods. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of manure (organic), herbicide plus fertilizer, and fertilizer only on abundance of arthropods in soybeans. This study showed that pest abundance declined from June to August probably due to heavy rainfall and higher predator abundance in June and July. More arthropods, pests and predators were captured in soybeans than in grassy edges. In 1993, cultural practices did not affect arthropod abundance. However, in 1994, more predators were captured in organic plots than the other plots, whereas more Cicadellidae were captured in soybean plots treated with fertilizeronly than other plots.