Using crop diversity to lower pesticide use: Socio-ecological approaches

• Published in: The Science of the total environment Vol. 804; p. 150156
• Main Authors: Thomine, Eva, Mumford, John, Rusch, Adrien, Desneux, Nicolas
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 15-01-2022; Elsevier
• Subjects: Agricultural market opportunities; Economic feasibility; Environmental Sciences; Farmer acceptance; Farmer training; Farming practices; Government subsidies; Landscape crop diversity; Natural enemies; Landscape crop diversity; Economic feasibility; Farming practices; Agricultural market opportunities; Farmer training; Farmer acceptance; Government subsidies; Natural enemies
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150156

The farming practices adopted since the end of the Second World War, based on large areas of monocultures and chemical use, have adversely affected the health of farmers and consumers and dramatically reduced farmland biodiversity. As a consequence, many studies over more than twenty years have stated that agriculture is facing three main challenges: (1) feeding the growing world population (2) with more environmentally friendly products (3) at a reasonable return for the producer. Increasing the efficacy of biocontrol could be one lever for agriculture to meet these expectations. In this study we propose implementation of a relatively under-researched system based on the management of landscape level crop diversity that would reduce demand for pesticide use and increase conservation biocontrol. The principle of manipulating crop diversity over space and time at a landscape scale is to optimize resource continuity, such as food and shelter for natural enemies to increase biocontrol services, reduce pest outbreaks and crop losses. The feasibility of such management options is discussed in relation to environmental, social and economic aspects. The operational and institutional inputs and conditions needed to make the system work are explored, as well as the potential added values of such a system for different stakeholders.
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•Agriculture needs to be economically, socially and environmentally sustainable.•Increasing crop diversity at the landscape scale could improve biocontrol.•Complementary skills need to be gathered for optimal decision making.•The landscape biocontrol management has to be established in a win-win process.•More technical studies are needed before broadening this promising practice.