Farmland Trees and Integrated Pest Management: A Review of Current Knowledge and Developing Strategies for Sustainable Systems

Scott-Brown, A.S., Rial-Lovera, K., Giannitsopoulos, M.L., Rickson, R.J., Staton, T., Walters, K.F.A. and Burgess, P.J. (2025) Farmland Trees and Integrated Pest Management: A Review of Current Knowledge and Developing Strategies for Sustainable Systems. Ecological Solutions and Evidence. ISSN 2688-8319 (In Press)

Text K. Walters Farmland Trees and Integrated Pest Management AAM OCR Upload.pdf - Accepted Version Download (938kB)

Abstract

1. Climate change and the withdrawal of several classes of agrochemicals from use are intensifying the challenges faced by food producers of controlling pests in crop systems. Integrated Pest Management (IPM), which uses a combination of pest control approaches, is therefore a focus in international initiatives to improve the resilience of food production. 2. Integrating the greater use of trees and shrubs on farms within IPM frameworks offers a biodiversity-positive contribution to crop protection. For example, trees can modulate the prevalence and impacts of agricultural pests and their natural antagonists through direct and indirect interactions. The beneficial impact of farmland trees and shrubs on pest management in arable or grassland field can be enhanced from an analysis of variables such as tree species and their spatial distribution on farms, insect-plant dynamics, population behaviours, and soil management practices. 3. The aim of this study is to synthesise existing knowledge and to assess the benefits and trade-offs between farmland trees and IPM strategies, building on gaps in knowledge identified by a stakeholder survey. Through this targeted review, we delineate the future evidence required to define and quantify the advantages that farmland trees offer as an element of IPM strategies. 4. The development of regional biodiversity monitoring tools, which integrate landscape features such as trees, show promise for shaping national policies to increase adoption of IPM. There is a demand for user-friendly on-farm tools, adaptable to changing crop and pest priorities, that can support the alignment of the management of farm trees with IPM. However, basic and applied biological and ecological research is needed to inform and validate these decision-support tools and the capability to inform landscape-scale models.

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	Integrated Pest Management, natural enemies, farmland trees, conservation biological control, multifunctional landscapes, agroecology
Divisions:	Agriculture and Environment (from 1.08.20)
Depositing User:	Mrs Susan Howe
Date Deposited:	01 Aug 2025 15:12
Last Modified:	01 Aug 2025 15:12
URI:	https://hau.repository.guildhe.ac.uk/id/eprint/18245

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