Potential of Hedgerows with Aromatic Plants as Reservoirs of Natural Enemies of Pests in Orange Orchards.

In the present study, the potential of hedgerows from Mediterranean aromatic plant species, i.e., oregano, rosemary, sage, and savory, in orange field margins to function as reservoirs of natural enemies of citrus pests was tested in comparison to the common management practice of bare soil or weed vegetation.

Do Patches of Flowering Plants Enhance Insect Pollinators in Apple Orchards?

Apples depend on insect pollination but intensification of agriculture jeopardizes pollination services in agroecosystems. Concerns about the dependency of crop pollination exclusively on honey bees increase the interest in agricultural practices that safeguard wild pollinators in agroecosystems. The purpose of the study was to assess the potential of floral resource provision in apple orchards to enhance the conservation of hymenopterous pollinating insects and potentially the pollination service to the crop.

Sown Wildflowers Enhance Habitats of Pollinators and Beneficial Arthropods in a Tomato Field Margin.

We evaluated the capacity of selected plants, sown along a processing tomato field margin in central Greece and natural vegetation, to attract beneficial and Hymenoptera pollinating insects and questioned whether they can distract pollinators from crop flowers. Measurements of flower cover and attracted pollinators and beneficial arthropods were recorded from early-May to mid-July, during the cultivation period of the crop. Flower cover was higher in the sown mixtures compared to natural vegetation and was positively correlated with the number of attracted pollinators.