Niche Study of Major Pests and Natural Enemies in Peach Orchards with Different Vegetative Ground Covers1

Abstract

As a modern orchard management tool, vegetative ground cover can increase biodiversity, enhance the effect of natural enemies, and reduce the amounts of chemical agents used to control pests. This study aimed to investigate the temporal niche relationship between pests and natural enemies in peach orchards (1) planted with flowering plants as a ground cover or (2) with naturally occurring vegetative ground cover or (3) plowed, with the objective of clarifying the conservation effect of peach orchard ground cover on different natural enemies. The results showed that the niche width value of natural enemies in peach orchards planted with the flowering plants was the highest, followed by natural vegetation peach orchards. The ladybird beetle (Coccinellidae) ecological niche width values were the highest in the natural enemy communities of the two types of peach orchards. These results demonstrate that vegetative ground cover in peach orchards can effectively harbor natural enemies and that coccinellids are highly adapted for the ecological environment of the peach orchard.