New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science abstracts

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Abundance and diversity of beneficial arthropods in conventional and "organic" carrot crops in New Zealand

N. A. BERRY
S. D. WRATTEN¹

Department of Entomology and Animal Ecology
P.O. Box 84, Lincoln University
Canterbury, New Zealand

A. McERLICH*

Wattie Frozen Foods Ltd
P. O. Box 16 083
Hornby, Christchurch, New Zealand

C. FRAMPTON

Department of Computing and Biometrics
P. O. Box 84, Lincoln University
Canterbury, New Zealand

* Present address: Cascadian Farm Inc., 719 Metcalf Street, Sedro Woolley, WA 98284, United States.

Abstract  The abundance and ecological diversity of selected groups of beneficial arthropods were compared between 16 organic and 17 conventional carrot (Daucus carota L.) fields in the Manawatu (North Island) and Canterbury and Nelson (South Island) areas of New Zealand using a suction sampler. Organic fields had significantly higher numbers of Hymenoptera: Parasitica, Staphylinidae (Coleoptera), and Neuroptera (Hemerobiidae) compared with conventional fields. Organic fields also had a significantly more diverse predatory and parasitic community than did conventional fields, as measured by the "Sequential Comparison Index". The implications of these results for biological control of pests in conventional and organic crops are discussed.

Keywords  organic crops; conventional crops; arthropods; diversity; populations; carrots

New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science, 1996, Vol. 24: 307-313

0114-0671/96/2404-0307 $2.50/0 (c) The Royal Society of New Zealand 1996

PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (574K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)

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