Implementing Trap Crops for Pest Management
1. Presentation
Characterization of the technique
Description of the technique:
Trap plants (usually a single species, but sometimes several) are introduced into the rotation, grown as catch crops or planted with the crop to be protected (mixed or as a border), sometimes with a staggered sowing date. Sensitive trap plants (to be infected) must be completely destroyed before pests can multiply (case of nematodes). Their role is therefore to actively reduce the inoculum. Resistant trap plants attract pests and limit damage. They can possibly be harvested. Their role is then both to reduce the inoculum and to concentrate it locally to better protect the sensitive crop grown almost synchronously or slightly staggered. In large crops, the trap crop technique is mainly practiced against nematodes in crops of beet and potato, but also against pollen beetles and broomrape of oilseed rape. The practice seems to be quite commonly cited as usable and useful between two greenhouse crops. It is notably practiced for pepper. If sensitive trap plants can be the crop itself, resistant trap plants will often be different plants from those to be protected but of the same botanical family.
Example of implementation:
Example taken from La Technique Betteravière (see bibliography) for control of cyst nematodes. Stubble cultivation of residues from the previous crop quickly after harvest. Shallow soil work or ploughing at 15cm. Early summer sowing of a resistant variety of radish (before August 15) or mustard (before September 1), and at high density (15Kg/ha for radish, 10Kg/ha for mustard). Firm the soil well to ensure emergence. Destroy the catch crops before winter by the finest possible shredding. Incorporate residues with a rotavator at 10-15 cm.
Details on the technique:
This technique is also developed on exotic crops such as cotton or on the production of squashes and other cucurbits. A 2006 article listed 10 large-scale applications of techniques using trap plants. The mechanism can also involve GMO trap plants, such as potatoes producing Bt toxin. Sown earlier than the main crop, they attract Colorado potato beetles which are intoxicated by Bt.
Implementation period
During intercrop
On established crop
Trap plants can be effective on the crop (case of oilseed rape), at the rotation scale, or used as intercrop.
Spatial scale of implementation
Plot
Farm
Territory
Depending on the scale at which the targeted organisms move and according to attractiveness, the scale of effectiveness ranges from the plot to the landscape. Managing trap plants at the landscape scale may require collaboration between neighboring farmers.
Application of the technique to...
All crops:
Sometimes difficult to generalize
Difficult generalization due to lack of references for many crops. Technique mainly used to limit cyst nematode populations on beet, developing for trapping pollen beetles outside oilseed rape.
Commonly practiced even if unconsciously with oilseed rape volunteers in the case of broomrape (Phelipanche ramosa). Known examples all correspond to situations where a major pest is targeted. Outside the use of Bt-type GMOs and/or the crop itself or a close phylogenetic relative, it is unrealistic to expect a trap plant with a broad spectrum of pests coverage.
Beet: Proven method (planting crucifers as catch crops against cyst nematodes)
Winter oilseed rape, Spring oilseed rape: Sowing 10% of an earlier variety or 5% of a very early variety mixed with the crop or as a border against pollen beetles. Sown in rotation, as a catch crop or mixed as a sensitive or false "host" trap crop against broomrape.
Potato, Carrot: against nematodes
Sugarcane: against the spotted borer.
All soil types:
Easily generalizable
All climatic contexts:
Easily generalizable
Regulation
Positive and negative influence.
The obligation to implement CIPAN promotes the study of the potential of these crops for contributing to the protection of commercial crops. Conversely, cover crops are more often perceived as a regulatory constraint and less as an opportunity to develop new techniques. The withdrawal of many chemical nematicides forces finding and deploying alternatives.
Nitrate Directive
Withdrawal of many chemical nematicides
(Status of these crop strips in crop declarations to be investigated)
2. Services provided by the technique
3. Effects on the sustainability of the cropping system
"Environmental" criteria
Effect on air quality:
Variable
Phytosanitary emissions: DECREASE
GHG emissions: VARIABLE
Effect on water quality:
Increasing
Pesticides: DECREASE
Effect on fossil resource consumption:
Variable
Fossil energy consumption: VARIABLE
Other:
No effect (neutral)
Pollutant transfer to water (N, P, phytosanitary ...):
Decrease if insecticide or other treatments are reduced. In beet, nematodes are not treated, nor broomrape on oilseed rape.
Pollutant transfer to air (N, P, phytosanitary ...):
Decrease if insecticide or other treatments are reduced. In beet, nematodes are not treated, nor broomrape on oilseed rape.
Fossil energy consumption:
Variable effect depending on the trap crop and the energy consumed for its establishment, maintenance, and harvest/destruction (main crop, catch crop, border planting, frost sensitivity, incorporation). Possible reduction in the number of passes for treatment.
GHG emissions:
Depends on the management of the trap crop, notably soil work.
"Agronomic" criteria
Productivity:
Increasing
Crop: yield increase if crop protection improves (example: +15% sugar yield expected on beet by improving protection against cyst nematode). Cropping system: little effect if introduced with the crop to protect or as intercrop, reduction if introducing a sensitive trap plant destroyed in the rotation.
Obviously, the area diverted to install trap plants or increased competition during intra-plot use must be deducted.
Soil fertility:
Increasing
Increase if introducing crops into the rotation, as varied crops explore different soil compartments and do not exploit the same resources. Increase if the trap crop is a CIPAN acting as a green manure by releasing trapped nitrogen after incorporation or if it fixes atmospheric nitrogen (legume).
Although not the main objective, a trap crop on the plot border or as intercrop can limit erosion and crusting.
Water stress:
Variable
Effect varies depending on the introduced crop.
Functional biodiversity:
Increasing
Possible increase due to diversification of habitats and resources offered by the agroecosystem. Beneficials and pollinators can be hosted in trap crops on borders.
Other agronomic criteria:
Variable
Variability of crop protection results:
Destruction of sensitive trap plants must be rigorous: complete and timely destruction. Poor destruction can instead contribute to increasing pest populations.
Crusting: Decrease
Although not the main objective, a trap crop on the plot border or as intercrop can limit crusting.
"Economic" criteria
Operational costs:
Variable
Depends on the introduced crop and its place in the rotation (catch crop, main crop, border). Establishment as catch crop or border implies additional cost. Possible reduction if pesticide use is reduced or if farm-saved seed is used.
Mechanization costs:
Variable
Depends on the introduced crop, its technical itinerary, and its place in the rotation (harvested crop, catch crop, mixed with the crop to protect, etc.).
Margin:
Variable
Trap crop established as catch crop or with the crop: variable depending on the balance between trap crop cost, savings on phytosanitary products, and yield gain. Trap crop introduced as a crop in the rotation: (1) decrease if crop destroyed (2) variable if crop harvested (resistant trap plant) depending on the margins of the crop and its effects on margins of other crops in the rotation.
Markets:
If a harvested trap crop (thus resistant) is introduced in the rotation, it must be possible to sell it or reuse it on the farm (seed, composting, etc.).
"Social" criteria
Working time:
Variable
Depends on the introduced crop, its technical itinerary, and its place in the rotation (harvested crop, catch crop, mixed with the crop to protect, etc.).
Increase in the case of establishing a catch crop compared to absence of intercrop cover.
Effect on farmer health:
Variable
Need for cooperation between neighboring farmers: Increase
When the technique targets insects that move at the landscape scale, coordination is necessary between neighboring farmers to ensure effectiveness.
Observation time:
No effect (neutral)
No effect. Possibly an increase if it is necessary to monitor a trap crop to destroy it at the right time.
Required technical skill: Increase
Development of trap crops requires significant knowledge of trap plant characteristics, ecology, and behavior of target organisms. Lack of knowledge may partly explain their limited development despite interesting potential.
4. Favored or disadvantaged organisms
Favored pests
Disadvantaged pests
Favored beneficials
Disadvantaged beneficials
Favored climatic and physiological accidents
Disadvantaged climatic and physiological accidents
5. For further information
- Agricultural warnings - vegetable crops no. 2
- -DRAF Centre and FREDON Centre DRAF Centre and FREDON Centre, Technical brochure, 2005
About nematode management on carrot.
- Behavioural and chemical ecology underlying the success of turnip rape (Brassica rapa) trap crops in protecting oilseed rape (Brassica napus) from the pollen beetle (Meligethes aeneus)
- -S.M. Cook ; H.B. Rasmussen ; M.A. Birkett ; D.A. Murray ; B.J. Pye ; N.P. Watts ; I.H. Williams Arthropod-plant interactions, Peer-reviewed article, 2007
Results of field and laboratory trials on the comparative attractiveness (by olfaction) of turnips and oilseed rape at bud and flowering stages.
- Concepts and applications of trap cropping in pest management
- -A.M. Shelton and F.R. Badenez-Perez (Department of Entomology, Cornell University, U.S.A.) Annual Reviews, Peer-reviewed article, 2006
Defines the concept, its different modalities, gives many examples, state of implementation and research, success factors and limits of the technique
- Growing winter oilseed rape in organic farming
- -J. Leroyer and L. Fontaine (ITAB), J.-L. Audfray (CA Morbihan), L. Prieur (CREAB Midi-Pyrénées), R. Maurice (CA Pays de la Loire), P. Morand (CA Drôme), C. Aubert (CA Seine-et-Marne), T. Quirin (CA Vienne), J.-L. Giteau (CA Brittany), B. Nezet (CA Finistère), G. Salitot (CA l’Oise), P. Pradalié (Coop De France) Technical Institute of Organic Farming, Technical brochure, 2007
- The branched broomrape, trap plants and fire
- -D. Pineault (CA Vendée) ; C. Boulet (University of Nantes) ; H. Benharrat (University of Nantes) phytoma, Press article, 2010
No. 630 January 2010
- Intercrop period used to sanitize the soil
- -Technical Institute of Beet ITB, La Technique Betteravière, Press article, 2011
No. 950, June 24, 2011 Concerns the establishment of resistant trap plants as intercrop before a beet crop to fight cyst nematode.
- Control of the golden nematode
- -PhytoDis, Phytofar, belgapom Website, 2011
www.nematodes.be Specifies a control method using trap plants (resistant potatoes, raketblat: tropical solanaceous false host)
- Root-knot nematodes, the asset of trap plants
- -C. Dijan-Caporalino (INRA) ; H. Védie (GRAB) ; A. Arrufat (Civam bio 66) phytoma, Press article, 2009
No. 624-625 September 2009 - mainly concerns vegetable rotations.
- Trapping the appetite of pollen beetles... action must be taken at planting
- -J. Raimbault (Terres Inovia) Oleomail - Regional newsletter, Technical brochure, 2011
- Trap plants against pests
- -French Plant Protection Association, coordination: Jean-Louis Bernard French Plant Protection Association, Technical brochure, 2011
- The use of Erianthus arundinaceus as a trap crop for the stem borer Chilo sacchariphagus reduces yield losses in sugarcane: preliminary results.
- -Nibouche, S., Tibère, R., Costet, L. Crop Protection, 42: 10-15, Peer-reviewed article, 2012
- Erianthus arundinaceus as a trap crop for the sugarcane stem borer Chilo sacchariphagus : Field validation and disease risk assessment
- -Nibouche S., Tibère R., Costet L. Crop Protection, Volume 124, Peer-reviewed article, 2019
6. Keywords
Pest control method:
Cultural control
Mode of action:
Avoidance
Action on initial stock
Type of strategy regarding pesticide use:
Substitution
Annexes
Est complémentaire des leviers
S'applique aux cultures suivantes
Défavorise les bioagresseurs suivants
