Natural enemies, or beneficials, suppress populations of a wide range of pest insects, reducing the potential for pest species to reach outbreak levels in field crops. Conserving and enhancing populations of beneficials is an important component of any integrated pest management (IPM) strategy.
Perennial native vegetation is an important alternate habitat for beneficials. The stability of perennial vegetation provides resources otherwise not found in cropping fields, especially when in fallow. While pest species can be found in native vegetation, most do not use native hosts, so native vegetation has a low risk of increasing pest numbers.
Beneficial are highly mobile and must be able to move between suitable habitats through the landscape to be effective.
For beneficials to move across the landscape, it is ideal to have areas of native vegetation linked to each other. Photo: G. Roth
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There are a range of beneficial insects described in this guide that help control insect pests. In addition, birds, bats, frogs, lizards and some small mammals also prey on insect pests, further adding to the opportunity to reduce the overall need to spray insecticides.
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Perennial native vegetation is an important alternate habitat for beneficials like this Assassin bug who is feeding on a Helicoverpa larva. Photo: P. Grundy |
Managing native vegetation also provides other benefits including carbon sequestration, erosion control, nutrient cycling, waste assimilation, water filtration and climate regulation.
The following principles can be used to guide native vegetation management to maximise its value for natural pest control:
