Insect pests can damage agricultural crops either directly, or indirectly as vectors of plant pathogens, both causing significant economic losses. Because of the negative impacts of chemical synthetic pesticides on the environment and on human health, future agriculture needs to be based on alternative practices. Besides the optimization of cultivation systems, supporting beneficial insects which carry out natural pest control is a promising strategy.

Plant nutrient supply and seeding regimes can affect pest insects in different ways. Moreover, recent studies suggest that the effects of fertilizer also translate to the third trophic level (i.e., predators and parasitoids). To get a comprehensive view on the growing regimes implemented in the NOcsPS project, studies investigating the abundance of pest insects, the efficiency of beneficial insects, and the effect on overall biodiversity are required.

We set out to test if the different NOcsPS cultivation systems differ regarding

1. the abundance of total insect biodiversity (including pest and beneficial insects),
2. growth and development of insect pests, and
3. efficiency of beneficial insects against pest insects.

We will record insect populations across all cropping systems using sweep nets to evaluate the effects of NOcsPS cultivation systems on the occurrence of beneficial insects, pests, and overall insect diversity.

Furthermore, we will conduct growth and fecundity assays on selected insect pests directly in the field using clip-cages. In addition, we will inoculate pest populations to assess the efficiency of natural pest control carried out by predators and parasitoids across the different cropping systems.

Finally, we will deliver recommendations for agricultural practice without the usage of synthetic chemical pesticides.