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Cover Crops and Disturbance Influence Activity-Density of Weed Seed Predators Amara aenea and Harpalus pensylvanicus (Coleoptera: Carabidae)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Meredith J. Ward ,
Matthew R. Ryan ,
William S. Curran ,
Mary E. Barbercheck  and
David A. Mortensen
Meredith J. Ward
Affiliation:
Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, 116 Agriculture Sciences and Industries Building, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
Matthew R. Ryan*
Affiliation:
Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, 116 Agriculture Sciences and Industries Building, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
William S. Curran
Affiliation:
Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, 116 Agriculture Sciences and Industries Building, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
Mary E. Barbercheck
Affiliation:
Department of Entomology, 516 Agriculture Sciences and Industries Building, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
David A. Mortensen
Affiliation:
Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, 116 Agriculture Sciences and Industries Building, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
*
Corresponding author's E-mail: matt.ryan@psu.edu
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Abstract

The activity-density of Amara aenea (DeGeer) and Harpalus pensylvanicus (DeGeer) (Coleoptera: Carabidae) was monitored in an experiment that compared five management treatments representing a range of disturbance frequencies, crops, and aboveground biomass production. In 2004 and 2005, three treatments comprised of multiple summer cover crops were compared to bare fallow and soybean, the latter of which used mechanical cultivation to manage weeds. In 2005 weed seed predation was assessed from June to September in two of the treatments (bare fallow and oat–pea/rye–hairy vetch). Beetle activity-density varied with treatment, time of sampling, and year. In 2004 peak activity-density of A. aenea was highest in the mustard/buckwheat/canola, but there was no difference in H. pensylvanicus activity-density. In 2005 activity-density of H. pensylvanicus was higher in oat–pea/rye–hairy vetch than in soybean treatment. Seed predation rates were relatively consistent across treatments, averaging between 38 and 63%. In fallow and oat–pea/rye–hairy vetch, H. pensylvanicus activity-density accounted for 29 and 33% of the variation in seed predation, respectively. Our findings suggest cover crops have a positive effect on the activity-density of A. aenea and H. pensylvanicus and that disturbance negatively influences their activity-density in the absence of cover crops.

Keywords

Buckwheat, Fagopyrum esculentum Moenchcanola, Brassica napus Lfield pea, Pisum sativum Lhairy vetch, Vicia villosa Rothmustard, Sinapis alba Loat, Avena sativa Lred clover, Trifolium pretense Lrye, Secale cereale Lsoybean, Glycine max MerrAmara aenea DeGeerHarpalus pensylvanicus DeGeerSeed bankground beetlesconservation biocontrolpost-dispersal weed seed predation
Type
Weed Biology and Ecology
Information
Weed Science , Volume 59 , Issue 1 , March 2011 , pp. 76 - 81
Copyright
Copyright © Weed Science Society of America 

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Footnotes

Current address: 121 Warren St, Sayre, PA 18840.

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