title: Effects of Season and Management of Irrigated Cotton Fields on Collembola (Hexapoda) in New South Wales, Australia.
abstract: The effects of production practices on the relative abundance of springtails (Collembola) in irrigated cotton fields of northern New South Wales (NSW) were studied over 2 yr to examine effects of farm management on these decomposer organisms. Pitfall trapping and soil core extraction was undertaken in both pseudoreplicated plots within whole fields on cotton farms and on experimental replicate plots of Envirofeast cotton and Lucerne. The relative abundance of surface-active springtails in cotton rows and densities of soil species from the rhizosphere were calculated. Twenty-three species of Collembola were collected from 5 fields, 19 in pitfall traps, and 11 in soil cores. Five species, Setogaster sp., Proisotoma minuta, Entomobrya unostrigata, Entomobrya multifasciata grp, and Lepidobrya sp. were numerically dominant on the ground at 86-96% of individuals and Mesaphorura sp., Folsomides parvulus, and Hemisotoma thermophila grp dominant in the soil. Native grassland samples contained 15 species of which a probable 10 were native and 8 were not found in cotton. Nineteen species of the 24 species identified from cotton were predominantly fungal feeders. Highest catches of Collembola occurred after flowering and soil Collembola increased with depth and during cotton growth on unsprayed plots but decreased on sprayed plots. Surface soil moistures affected daily catch rates with decomposing residues, crop stage, predator abundance, and season as secondary factors. Insecticide (endosulfan, pyrethroid, carbamate, and organophosphate) and predator effects were either negligible or unclear depending on the factor involved. Springtails appear to be predominately food limited during times of adequate soil moisture in cotton fields.
authors: Department of Agricultural Chemistry and Soil Science, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia. CSIRO Entomology, GPO Box 1700, ACT 2601, Australia.
authors: James A
authors: JA
authors: Lytton-Hitchins
authors: School of Applied and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, University Drive, Mt Helen, Ballarat, 3350, Australia. South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia 5000. Department of Biology, Australian National University, Australian Capital Territory, 0200, Australia. Pgreenslade@federation.edu.au.
authors: Penelope
authors: P
authors: Greenslade
authors: CSIRO Plant Industry, Locked Bag 59, Narrabri, NSW 2390, Australia.
authors: Lewis J
authors: LJ
authors: Wilson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001181:Arthropods; D000069599:Crop Production / Q000379:methods*; D003368:Gossypium; D007306:Insecticides / Q000009:adverse effects; D000455:Medicago sativa; D009517:New South Wales; D011722:Pyrethrins / Q000009:adverse effects; D012621:Seasons; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D007306:Insecticides; D011722:Pyrethrins; D012987:Soil
keywords: insecticide; moisture; plant residue; predator; springtail