Study estimates true value of ladybird as biocontrol

Natural predators of common agricultural pests can save farmers money spent on insecticides while being friendly to health and environment, a study carried out in the cotton fields of China suggests.

Coccinella magnifica. Image credit: Gilles San Martin/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Results of the study demonstrated for the first time the economic benefit of using natural predators such as ladybird beetles as a form of pest control.

The study estimated that cotton farmers in China could save more than US$300 million by doubling the density of ladybirds in their fields.

Ladybirds are natural predators of aphids, a primary cotton pest that greatly reduces crop yields.

According to the study, making greater use of ladybirds as a natural form of pest control can increase yields and save farmers time and money. For every additional 1,000 ladybirds per hectare of cotton, farmers used 0.69 kilograms less insecticide while also saving time from reduced insecticide spraying.

Overall, the study found that doubling ladybird density increased incomes by approximately US$100 per hectare per year.

The findings provide a baseline to compare the value of deploying natural enemies of crop pests with insecticide use. The study shows that better capture of biological pest control results in better economics for farmers, never mind the environmental and health benefits of reduced insecticide exposure.

Biological pest control isn’t always a viable or cost-effective substitute for insecticides because there isn’t always the right biological control agent available for a pest, and even when there is, it may be costly to provide for its habitat needs.

While the study authors acknowledge that insecticide use can’t be eliminated completely, they say using natural predators can significantly reduce the amounts of chemicals needed. (SciDev.Net)

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

Star Explosion is Lopsided

Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, has found evidence that a massive star exploded in a lopsided fashion, sending ejected material flying in one direction and the core of the star in the other.

Malaria-carrying Mosquitoes Becoming Resistant to Bed Nets in Southern Africa

Malaria-carrying mosquitoes are becoming resistant to the insecticide used in bed nets to prevent the disease. Researchers say it is important to stay ahead of the resistance to avoid what they are calling a public health catastrophe.

Underwater volcano's fiery eruption captured in detail by seafloor observatory

A sensor array off the Pacific Northwest coast has captured the cracking, bulging and shaking from the eruption of Axial Seamount, a nearly mile-high undersea volcano, in more detail than ever before.

Our Sun Could Have Been Born With an Evil Twin Called "Nemesis"

A new model on how stars are formed has added weight to the hypothesis that most – if not all – stars are born in a litter with at least one sibling.

Sierras Lost Water Weight, Grew Taller During Drought

Loss of water from the rocks of California's Sierra Nevada caused the mountain range to rise nearly an inch (24 millimeters) in height during the drought years from October 2011 to October 2015.

Scientists develop genetic path to tastier tomatoes

Scientists at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and their partners have found a way to get tomatoes to produce the compounds that make them more flavorful.