Arthropod Diversity Influenced by Two Musa -Based Agroecosystems in Ecuador

Daniel Vera-Aviles, Carmita Suarez-Capello, Mercè Llugany, Charlotte Poschenrieder, Paola De Santis and Milton Cabezas-Guerrero
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Daniel Vera-Aviles: Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Técnica Estatal de Quevedo, Quevedo 120509, Ecuador
Carmita Suarez-Capello: Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Técnica Estatal de Quevedo, Quevedo 120509, Ecuador
Mercè Llugany: Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
Charlotte Poschenrieder: Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
Paola De Santis: Research Centre Bioversity International, Via dei Tre Denari 472/a, 00054 Maccarese (Fiumicino), Italy
Milton Cabezas-Guerrero: Facultad de Ciencias Pecuarias. Universidad Técnica Estatal de Quevedo, Quevedo 120509, Ecuador

Agriculture, 2020, vol. 10, issue 6, 1-13

Abstract: Banana and plantain ( Musa spp.) are very important crops in Ecuador. Agricultural production systems based on a single cultivar and high use of external inputs to increase yields may cause changes in the landscape structure and a loss in biodiversity. This loss may be responsible for a decrease in the complexity of arthropod food webs and, at the same time, related to a higher frequency and range of pest outbreaks. Very little is known either about the ecological mechanisms causing destabilization of these systems or the importance of the diversity of natural enemies to keep pests under control. Few studies have focused on this issue in tropical ecosystems. Here, we address this problem, comparing two Musa -based agroecosystems (monocultivar and mixed-species plantations) at two sites in Ecuador (La Maná and El Carmen) with different precipitation regimes. The diversity of soil macro fauna, represented by arthropods, was established, as indicators of the abovementioned disturbances. Our ultimate goal is the optimization of pest management by exploring more sustainable cropping systems with improved soil quality. Arthropod abundance was higher in the mixed system at both localities, which was clearly associated with the quality of the soils. In addition, we found Hymenoptera species with predatory or parasitic characteristics over the pests present in the agroecosystems under study. These highly beneficial species were more abundant at the locality of La Maná. The mixed type of production system provides plant diversity, which favors beneficial arthropod abundance and permits lower agrochemical application without yield penalties in comparison to the monoculture. These findings will help in the design of Musa -based agroecosystems to enhance pest control.

Keywords: monocultivar; mixed-species plantation; biodiversity; arthropod; soil; on-farm biodiversity indicators (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
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