Publications by authors named "Karol L Krey"
Article Synopsis
- Generalist predators can disrupt biological control by preying on other natural enemies, but their behavior may change based on prey availability.
- Higher densities of herbivores like aphids and thrips lead to more frequent encounters with intraguild predation, indicating that predator interactions are influenced by prey abundance.
- As predator competition increases, Geocoris may switch to feeding on detritivores, highlighting how prey diversity can alter predator interactions and foraging strategies.
Article Synopsis
- The study examined how different prey populations affect the ability of generalist predators, specifically Nabis sp. and Geocoris sp., to control the Colorado potato beetle in organic versus conventional potato fields.
- In organic fields, higher biodiversity led to decreased predation of the beetles by Nabis, suggesting these predators switched to more abundant alternative prey; in contrast, predation increased with arthropod richness in conventional fields.
- Geocoris predation was more effective in organic fields but decreased when alternative prey like detritus-feeding flies were abundant, indicating that the presence of other prey can significantly disrupt beetle feeding.
Plants deploy a variety of chemical and physical defenses to protect themselves against herbivores and pathogens. Organic farming seeks to enhance these responses by improving soil quality, ultimately altering bottom up regulation of plant defenses. While laboratory studies suggest this approach is effective, it remains unclear whether organic agriculture encourages more-active plant defenses under real-world conditions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSoil chemistry and microbial diversity can impact the vigor and nutritive qualities of plants, as well as plants' ability to deploy anti-herbivore defenses. Soil qualities often vary dramatically on organic versus conventional farms, reflecting the many differences in soil management practices between these farming systems. We examined soil-mediated effects on herbivore performance by growing potato plants (Solanum tuberosum L.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe sweetpotato whitefly, , is a pest of greenhouse-grown tomato. Restrictions on insecticides in enclosed structures and the presence of commercial pollinators limit the options for the chemical control of whiteflies in greenhouses, increasing the importance of biological controls. is a zoophytophagous mirid predator native to North America.
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