title: Multi-country evidence that crop diversification promotes ecological intensification of agriculture.
abstract: Global food security requires increased crop productivity to meet escalating demand(1-3). Current food production systems are heavily dependent on synthetic inputs that threaten the environment and human well-being(2,4,5). Biodiversity, for instance, is key to the provision of ecosystem services such as pest control(6,7), but is eroded in conventional agricultural systems. Yet the conservation and reinstatement of biodiversity is challenging(5,8,9), and it remains unclear whether the promotion of biodiversity can reduce reliance on inputs without penalizing yields on a regional scale. Here we present results from multi-site field studies replicated in Thailand, China and Vietnam over a period of four years, in which we grew nectar-producing plants around rice fields, and monitored levels of pest infestation, insecticide use and yields. Compiling the data from all sites, we report that this inexpensive intervention significantly reduced populations of two key pests, reduced insecticide applications by 70%, increased grain yields by 5% and delivered an economic advantage of 7.5%. Additional field studies showed that predators and parasitoids of the main rice pests, together with detritivores, were more abundant in the presence of nectar-producing plants. We conclude that a simple diversification approach, in this case the growth of nectar-producing plants, can contribute to the ecological intensification of agricultural systems.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry, University, Fuzhou, Fujian 35002, China.|Graham Centre, Charles Sturt University, Orange, New South Wales 2800, Australia.
authors.forename: Geoff M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Gurr
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory Breeding Base for Zhejiang Sustainable Pest and Disease Control, Institute of Plant Protection and Microbiology, Zhejiang Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China.
authors.forename: Zhongxian
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory Breeding Base for Zhejiang Sustainable Pest and Disease Control, Institute of Plant Protection and Microbiology, Zhejiang Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China.
authors.forename: Xusong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory Breeding Base for Zhejiang Sustainable Pest and Disease Control, Institute of Plant Protection and Microbiology, Zhejiang Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China.
authors.forename: Hongxing
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Jinhua Plant Protection Station, Jinhua 321017, China.
authors.forename: Pingyang
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-0417-6583
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Jinhua Plant Protection Station, Jinhua 321017, China.
authors.forename: Guihua
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Jinhua Plant Protection Station, Jinhua 321017, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
authors.forename: Jiaan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
authors.forename: Zengrong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Crop and Environmental Sciences Division, International Rice Research Institute, DAPO Box 7777, Metro Manila 1301, The Philippines.
authors.forename: Josie Lynn
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Catindig
authors.affiliation: Crop and Environmental Sciences Division, International Rice Research Institute, DAPO Box 7777, Metro Manila 1301, The Philippines.
authors.forename: Sylvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Villareal
authors.affiliation: Southern Regional Plant Protection Center, Long Dinh 860000, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Ho
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Van Chien
authors.affiliation: Southern Regional Plant Protection Center, Long Dinh 860000, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Le Quoc
authors.initials: le Q
authors.lastname: Cuong
authors.affiliation: Chainat Rice Research Center, Chainat 17000, Thailand.
authors.forename: Chairat
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Channoo
authors.affiliation: Chainat Rice Research Center, Chainat 17000, Thailand.
authors.forename: Nalinee
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chengwattana
authors.affiliation: Institute of Agricultural Science for Southern Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam.
authors.forename: La Pham
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Lan
authors.affiliation: TienGiang University, Tien Giang 860000, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Le Huu
authors.initials: le H
authors.lastname: Hai
authors.affiliation: Rice Department, Bureau of Rice Research and Development, Bangkok 10220, Thailand.
authors.forename: Jintana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chaiwong
authors.affiliation: Graham Centre, Charles Sturt University, Orange, New South Wales 2800, Australia.
authors.forename: Helen I
authors.initials: HI
authors.lastname: Nicol
authors.affiliation: Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry, University, Fuzhou, Fujian 35002, China.
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Perovic
authors.affiliation: Bio-Protection Research Centre, Lincoln University, Christchurch 7642, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Steve D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Wratten
authors.affiliation: Crop and Environmental Sciences Division, International Rice Research Institute, DAPO Box 7777, Metro Manila 1301, The Philippines.|Centre for Agricultural Biosciences International (CABI), South East Asia, Regional Centre, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Kong Luen
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Heong
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D007306:Insecticides / Q000633:toxicity; D012275:Oryza / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000469:parasitology; D010271:Parasites / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D007306:Insecticides