Organic agriculture promotes evenness and natural pest control

David W. Crowder (), Tobin D. Northfield, Michael R. Strand and William E. Snyder
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David W. Crowder: Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164, USA
Tobin D. Northfield: Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164, USA
Michael R. Strand: University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA
William E. Snyder: Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164, USA

Nature, 2010, vol. 466, issue 7302, 109-112

Abstract: Even break for organic crops Declining species number (richness) harms ecosystems, and conservation efforts have largely focused on conserving or restoring particular rare species. However, greater disparity in species relative abundances (evenness) might also do ecological harm, which could only be reversed by altering the densities of many species at once. A new survey of organic and conventionally managed potato fields shows that species evenness is greater under organic management. Replicating these levels of evenness in a field trial shows that the evenness of natural enemies found in organic fields promotes pest control and increases crop biomass. In organic crops many beneficial species (that eat pest insects) are equally common, which in potatoes leads to fewer pests and larger plants.

Date: 2010
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DOI: 10.1038/nature09183

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