Logo primary
Logo secondary
Daniel Halsey 's Profile
Daniel Halsey
Details
Joined:
02/02/2011
Last Updated:
02/02/2011
Location:
Global, Traveler, United States
Climate Zone:
Cold Temperate
Gender:
Male
Web site:
www.uniteddesigners.org





My Projects

(projects i'm involved in)

URBAN HOMESTEAD GRANTS

URBAN HOMESTEAD GRANTS

Minneapolis, US

Molokai Restoration

Molokai Restoration

Kunakakai, US


Projects

(projects i'm following)

vegarden Ti Lorien, Haiti Quail Springs Permaculture Sailchearnach Mesquite Meadows Jubilee Fruits & Vegetables Farm PRI Tap o' Noth Farm, Aberdeenshire, Scotland The Permaculture Research Institute of Hellas (Greece) The Centre for Urban Agriculture in Alberta RT Permaculture Forever Productive Forest Milkwood Inspiration Farm
Followers
Following
Andrew Millison Belinda Ross Benjamin Fahrer Bill Mollison Bill Wilson Geoff Lawton Ginnee Hancock Itai Hauben James Reid Jessica Schneider Joey D'Elia Jude Hobbs Kaitlyn O'Connor Kyle Tengler Laura Odell Les Moore Lesley Byrne Lindsay Rebhan Mark Shepard Nick Boyce Owen Hablutzel Rob Avis Sarah Wu Shawn Tisdell Stephen Moring Warren Brush

Back to Daniel Halsey's profile

Beneficial Habitat: Beetle Banks

Posted by Daniel Halsey about 9 years ago

Beetle banks create beneficial habitat for biological control agents important to pest management. Since the effect of predation from the bank is passive and seasonally variable it is a strategy best used as part of an overall system of pest management.

Large expanses and widening fields for crop production have substantially limited the access of beneficial insects to field crop prey. The ecological services provided by naturally occurring pest predators is increasingly impeded spatially as the fields grow. The field edges, being the over-wintering and refuge for beneficial insects, are the primary source of conservation pest management in many crops. As much as 35% of pest management and crop protection comes from naturally occurring biological controls. Increasing the natural capital needed to enhance the supportive habitat is a low investment and a high return strategy for growers. 

This technique is also important in the ecological design of food production areas on homestead or in a production orchard. Many times we think of beneficial habitat for the use of pollinators and flying insects. We need to remember that there is a great diversity of beneficial insects that need habitat. Beetles play an important role in controlling past populations in our growing spaces.

Beetle Banks, suggested by Southerton (1984) are grassy ridges within crop fields, which by their position, decrease the travel distance of flying or crawling beneficial insects. Field edges of rough Tussock grass covered banks (Luff 1966) support a high density population of Caribidae ( Large Ground Beetles) and Staphylinidae (Smaller Rove Beetles) (Thomas 1991).

Reducing the distance from edge to edge increased the frequency and duration of insects in the center areas of the fields. Especially in Spring, as the insects migrate further into the field following aphid and other pest populations. Although Collins, et al (2002) refers to it as decreasing field size, I believe the banks are an integral part of the field itself and a permanent fixture within the cropping system. The control of cereal aphids has been the motivation for many of the studies to be cited. Polyphagous arthropods are important players in the natural biocontrol of wheat pests. Conservation Biocontrols are the  " ..techniques to encourage and conserve populations of naturally occurring (pest) predators..." (Collins et al, 2003).
According to Collins et al. (2003), the most needed Integrated Crop Management (ICM) component is natural biocontrol agents (BCA).  The most important BCAs in Cereal aphid control are polyphagous (predators of multiple prey, not specific) arthropods. Since expanded agricultural intensification has removed or degraded field boundary areas, added habitat spaces are needed for increased polyphagous predator benefit.

More at SouthWoods

Comments (3)

You must be logged in to comment.

Grant Van der Merwe
Grant Van der Merwe : Thanks for post
Posted about 9 years ago

Report Grant Van der Merwe on Beneficial Habitat: Beetle Banks

Reason:

or cancel

Robert Hones
Robert Hones : We bring you both an over the phone, and an online presence that is dedicated to simplicity, and getting you the information you need quickly. West Jordan Tree Service
Posted 3 months ago

Report Robert Hones on Beneficial Habitat: Beetle Banks

Reason:

or cancel

Kate Wilson
Kate Wilson : Malfunctioning batteries can be the cause of many issues such as difficulty starting or decreased performance. South Bend Onsite Truck Repair
Posted 3 months ago

Report Kate Wilson on Beneficial Habitat: Beetle Banks

Reason:

or cancel

My Badges
Consultant Aid worker PRI PDC Teacher I'm male, single, and looking for a permaculture partner
My Permaculture Qualifications
Unverified
Cold Climate PDC
Type: Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) course
Verifying teacher: Paula Westmoreland
Other Teachers: Guy Trombley, Bruce Blair
Location: Minnesota
Date: Jan 2007
Other course verified
Teaching Permaculture Creativiely
Type: Teacher Training
Verifying teacher: Dave Jacke
Other Teachers: Ethan Roland
Location: Sandstone, Minnesota
Date: Apr 2010
Other course verified
Permaculture Teacher Training
Type: Teacher Training
Verifying teacher: Bill Wilson
Other Teachers: Wayne Weiseman
Location: Stelle, IL
Date: Aug 2011
Other course unverified
The Soil Resource, Soil Science
Type: Soil Biology/Compost
Teacher: Dr. Terry Cooper
Location: University of Minnesota
Date: Aug 2007
Other course verified
Forest Ecology
Type: Other
Teacher: Rebecca Montgomery
Location: University of Minnesota
Date: Jan 2007
Other course verified
Orcard Swale Catchment Workshop
Type: Earthworks
Verifying teacher: Geoff Lawton
Other Teachers: Guy Trombley, Paula Westmoreland
Location: Prior Lake, MN, USA
Date: Jun 2006
Other course verified
Edible Forest Gardens Short Workshop
Type: Other
Teacher: Dave Jacke
Location: PRI, Cold Climate, University of Minnesota
Date: Feb 2007
Other course unverified
Master of Professional Studies in Horticulture
Type: Other
Teacher: Dr. Tom Michaels
Location: University of Minnesota
Date: Oct 2010
Other course unverified
Bachelors of Science, Temperate Climate Polyculture Deign
Type: Other
Teacher: Nick Jordan
Location: University of Minnesota, USA
Date: Sep 2008
Other course verified
Grey Water Systems with Brad Lancaster
Type: Other
Verifying teacher: Brad Lancaster
Other Teachers: Wayne Weiseman
Location: Kinstone Acedemy of Applied Permaculture
Date: Jan 2014
Other course unverified
Restoration Agriculture
Type: Earthworks
Teacher: Mark Shepard
Location: Harmony Park, MN
Date: Sep 2014
1 PDC Graduates (list)
0 PRI PDC Graduates (list)
9 Other Course Graduates (list)
have acknowledged being taught by Daniel Halsey
0 have not yet been verified (list)
Climate Zones
Daniel Halsey has permaculture experience in:
Cold Temperate
Cool Temperate
Warm Temperate
Mediterranean
Island
Sub tropical
Wet/Dry Tropical
Wet Tropical
Dry Tropical
Arid
Semi Arid
Cold Desert

Report Daniel Halsey

Reason:

or cancel

Hide Daniel Halsey

Reason:

or cancel

Hide Beneficial Habitat: Beetle Banks

Reason:

or cancel

Report Beneficial Habitat: Beetle Banks

Reason:

or cancel