The effects of an autumn-planted, spring-killed, grass cover crop (Elymus trachycaulus [Link] Gould ex Shinners) on populations of Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte and its predator community were evaluated in South Dakota maize fields over two seasons. Abundance and size of D. virgifera larvae and adults and sex ratio of adults were measured in maize produced under two treatments (i.e., a...

Okro and Peppper were intercropped in a randomised complete block design with three replicates to assess the effect of this on the population of several insect pest of Okro. Five pests of Okro were recorded: Podagrica uniforma; Podagrica sjostedti; Oxycarenus hyalipennis; Cosmophila flava and Dysdercus superstitiosus. However, there were no significant difference in the population of these inse...

Air pollution in the Los Angeles area is Characterized by a decrease in visibility, crop damage, eye irritation, objectionable odor, and rubber deterioration. These effects are attributed to the release of large quantities of hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides to the atmosphere. The photochemical action of nitrogen oxides oxidizes the hydrocarbons and thereby forms ozone, responsible for rubber c...

Birds active in apple orchards in south-eastern Australia can contribute positively (e.g., control crop pests) or negatively (e.g., crop damage) to crop yields. Our study is the first to identify net outcomes of these activities, using six apple orchards, varying in management intensity, in south-eastern Australia as a study system. We also conducted a predation experiment using real and artifi...

Crop raiding is a major form of human–wildlife confl ict that not only aff ects livelihoods of farmers living close to forest areas but also jeopardizes the objective of wildlife conservation. In this study, we report patterns associated with crop raiding based on periodic fi eld inspections of 95 crop fi elds spread across 16 villages in India. Average raided area of the fi eld was highest in ...

Farming activity severely impacts the invertebrate food resources of farmland birds, with direct mortality to populations of above-ground arthropods thorough mechanical damage during crop harvests. In this study we assessed the effects of phenological periods, including the timing of harvest, on the composition and biomass of prey consumed by three species of aerial insectivorous birds. Common ...

Human-wildlife conflict often arises from crop-raiding, and insights regarding which aspects of raiding events determine crop loss are essential when developing and evaluating deterrents. However, because accounts of crop-raiding behaviour are frequently indirect, these parameters are rarely quantified or explicitly linked to crop damage. Using systematic observations of the behaviour of non-hu...

The most recent estimate of blackbird damage to ripening sunflower (Helianthus annuus) in North Dakota in 1980 exceeded $6 million. Although less than 5% of the sunflower fields in the state received greater than 10% damage in each of four past survey years, as much as 50% of the total state-wide damage occurred in these fields. This loss can be combated with cost-effective controlSuccessful co...

Recent flooding and heavy precipitation events in the US and worldwide have caused great damage to crop production. If the frequency of these weather extremes were to increase in the near future, as recent trends for the US indicate and as projected by global climate models (e.g., US National Assessment, Overview Report, 2001, The Potential Consequences of Climate Variability and Change, Nation...

Four postemergence herbicides were applied during the harvest season to an established asparagus crop. The spears were harvested every alternate day for 3 weeks after treatment, counted, assessed for quality and production, and analysed in the laboratory for presence of herbicide residues. The suggested use rates of clopyralid and dicamba caused little damage to spears and their residues in the...