TY - JOUR

T1 - Investigating the (Mis)Match between Natural Pest Control Knowledge and the Intensity of Pesticide Use

AU - Mall, David

AU - Larsen, Ashley E.

AU - Martin, Emily A.

N1 - Funding information: Acknowledgments: We acknowledge helpful comments by reviewers that improved an earlier version of this manuscript. This publication was funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the University of Würzburg in the funding program Open Access Publishing.

PY - 2018/3

Y1 - 2018/3

N2 - Transforming modern agriculture towards both higher yields and greater sustainability is critical for preserving biodiversity in an increasingly populous and variable world. However, the intensity of agricultural practices varies strongly between crop systems. Given limited research capacity, it is crucial to focus efforts to increase sustainability in the crop systems that need it most. In this study, we investigate the match (or mismatch) between the intensity of pesticide use and the availability of knowledge on the ecosystem service of natural pest control across various crop systems. Using a systematic literature search on pest control and publicly available pesticide data, we find that pest control literature is not more abundant in crops where insecticide input per hectare is highest. Instead, pest control literature is most abundant, with the highest number of studies published, in crops with comparatively low insecticide input per hectare but with high world harvested area. These results suggest that a major increase of interest in agroecological research towards crops with high insecticide input, particularly cotton and horticultural crops such as citrus and high value-added vegetables, would help meet knowledge needs for a timely ecointensification of agriculture.

AB - Transforming modern agriculture towards both higher yields and greater sustainability is critical for preserving biodiversity in an increasingly populous and variable world. However, the intensity of agricultural practices varies strongly between crop systems. Given limited research capacity, it is crucial to focus efforts to increase sustainability in the crop systems that need it most. In this study, we investigate the match (or mismatch) between the intensity of pesticide use and the availability of knowledge on the ecosystem service of natural pest control across various crop systems. Using a systematic literature search on pest control and publicly available pesticide data, we find that pest control literature is not more abundant in crops where insecticide input per hectare is highest. Instead, pest control literature is most abundant, with the highest number of studies published, in crops with comparatively low insecticide input per hectare but with high world harvested area. These results suggest that a major increase of interest in agroecological research towards crops with high insecticide input, particularly cotton and horticultural crops such as citrus and high value-added vegetables, would help meet knowledge needs for a timely ecointensification of agriculture.

KW - Agricultural intensity

KW - Agroecology

KW - Biological pest control

KW - Crop

KW - Ecological intensification

KW - Insecticides

KW - Study system

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85041128091&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3390/insects9010002

DO - 10.3390/insects9010002

M3 - Article

C2 - 29304005

VL - 9

JO - Insects

JF - Insects

IS - 1

M1 - 2

ER -