Therefore, I decided to focus on biological control of insects which allows me to delve into the study of the systems I am passionate about while developing practical tools for farmers to safeguard them. Work package 2 looks at the economic feasibility of investments for farmers to switch to more crop-diverse systems, such as strip farming, and what factors influence their willingness to engage in ecologically sound farming. Precursor to natural pest management research within CropMix, is the research of Luuk Croijmans (WUR). Luuk conducted his research within the system experiments in Wageningen and Lelystad that are now part of CropMix.
‘When Houtworm en boktor bestrijden grow different crops in narrow strips, parasitic wasps manage to suppress cabbage white caterpillars better. Luuk explains what parasitic wasps are, what they do, and how they can help us make the agricultural system more sustainable by using natural processes. Think of farmers with wide strips and long value chains, but also farmers with narrow strips marketing in a short chain. website hier look at what consumers and other stakeholders think and their role in the transition to more sustainable agriculture. http://www.scribblemaps.com/maps/view/Amsterdam-Ongediertebestrijding/uYd7NkuGzW look at the interactions between plants, crops, insects and other species living in the field and the differences between strip cropping and monocultures.
I aim to identify crop designs that effectively suppress pests and investigate the underlying mechanisms. The primary objective is to develop ecology-based strategies for farmers to reduce pest pressure and minimize pesticide use in agroecosystems. To achieve this, we will assess the impact of plant diversity and intercropping on promoting naturally occurring beneficial insects.
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The coming years, Gabriele Bolletta will continue to work on the research into biological pest control in diverse cropping systems. I am deeply intrigued by the complexities of ecological interactions and my aim is to investigate how we can influence them to support more sustainable and efficient food production. I developed a strong interest in entomology and ecology during my bachelor’s degree at the University of Perugia and further deepened during my master’s studies at Wageningen University. This profound passion for ecological interactions has motivated me to seek ways to preserve these intricate systems.
Additionally, we aim to refine crop designs by considering plant traits and incorporating floral nectar to increase biocontrol efficacy in the field. Lastly, the research aims to integrate agroecological approaches with augmentative biocontrol techniques, incorporating the release of natural enemies in strategically designed cropping systems to maximize effectiveness. Luuk studied the effect of strip cropping on biological pest control of cabbage white caterpillars by parasitic wasps.
