Specific cover crops may help attract insects that target harmful pests
Different cover crops may affect how plants defend themselves against pests—including by attracting more insects that eat harmful caterpillars—according to a new study led by researchers at Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.
A new study from Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences reveals that specific cover crops may attract insects that prey on harmful pests. The research, published in Basic and Applied Ecology, examined how different cover crops impact plant defenses against insects. Pea cover crops, for instance, emitted higher levels of the chemical indole, which primes neighboring plants to boost their defensive chemicals.
However, these plants also had lower benzoxazinoid levels—a natural pesticide. Lady beetles showed a stronger preference for caterpillars on corn plants grown in pea-conditioned soil, potentially due to the increased nitrogen availability from the previous cover crop. The study suggests that selecting cover crops can influence plant resistance to pests and that each insect species may respond differently to each crop type.
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