Invertebrate community richness in New Zealand kiwifruit orchards under organic or integrated pest management

• Published in: Agriculture, ecosystems & environment Vol. 141; no. 1; pp. 32 - 38
• Main Authors: Todd, Jacqui H., Malone, Louise A., McArdle, Brian H., Benge, Jayson, Poulton, Joanne, Thorpe, Stephen, Beggs, Jacqueline R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier B.V 01-04-2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Agricultural and farming systems; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Biological and medical sciences; Communities; ecosystem services; Ecosystems; Functional groups; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agroecology; General agroecology. Agricultural and farming systems. Agricultural development. Rural area planning. Landscaping; General agronomy. Plant production; Generalities. Agricultural and farming systems. Agricultural development; growing season; herbivores; indigenous species; integrated pest management; Invertebrata; Invertebrate assemblages; Invertebrates; Kiwifruit; Management; management systems; Native invertebrates; omnivores; Orchards; parasitoids; Pests; Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection; Predators; Sustainable agriculture; Taxonomic richness; trapping; traps; New Zealand; Oceania; Taxonomic richness; Invertebrate assemblages; Sustainable agriculture; Functional groups; Native invertebrates; Ecology; Actinidiaceae; Orchard; Fruit crop; Animal community; Kiwi (fruit); Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Spermatophyta; Invertebrata; Actinidia deliciosa; Integrated pest management; Species richness; Functional group
• ISSN: 0167-8809; 1873-2305
• DOI: 10.1016/j.agee.2011.02.007

► There was a higher taxonomic richness of functional groups in organic than in IPM orchards ► More predators, parasitoids, herbivores, fungivores, and omnivores occurred in organic than in IPM orchards
To compare the effects of two different forms of sustainable agriculture on native taxa, this study assessed invertebrate communities in ten matched pairs of kiwifruit orchards managed under either organic or integrated pest management (IPM) systems in New Zealand. Three types of trap were used to collect as many different invertebrate taxa as possible in three trapping periods spread over the 2007/08 fruit growing season. A total of 602 taxa were identified in the samples. Significantly more taxa were collected from the organic orchards than the IPM orchards in all three periods. The invertebrate assemblages collected from the two orchard types were also significantly different in both January and March 2008. There was no significant difference in the proportions of native and endemic species collected from the two orchard types, although up to 40% of the identified species differed between the two management systems. Higher numbers of predators, parasitoids, herbivores, fungivores and omnivores in the organic orchards compared with those under IPM may indicate the presence of more resilient ecosystem services in these orchards.