The impact of agri-environment schemes on cereal aphid control.

Abstract

The impact of epigeal and flying aphid predators, in isolation and together, on cereal aphids was tested on farms with different proportions of grass margins and other uncropped land. Flying predators alone were as effective as all predators in controlling cereal aphids. Levels of parasitism were very low (less than or equal to 1%) and control was attributed to predatory species. Preliminary analyses indicated that levels of aphid control achieved by flying predators improved positively with area of grass margin up to 750 m from the sampling location. There was an indication that some habitats may detract predators from cereal aphid control: grass margins within 100 m reduced control by epigeal predators and uncropped land within 500 m reduced control by flying predators.