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Preplant Tillage Effects on Population Dynamics of Soybean Insect Predators

Entomology and Nematology Dep.

D. L. Wright and I. D. Teare^*

Agronomy Dep. North Florida Res. and Educaion Ctr., Univ. of Florida, Route 3, Box 4370, Quincy, FL 32351

^* Corresponding author.

Tillage operations modify soil habitats where many pests and their natural enemies reside at least during part of their life cycle. Bigeyed bugs (Geocoris spp.) and damsel bugs (Nabis and Reduviolus spp.) are common beneficial polyphagous insect predators in many crops. The objective of this research was to measure effects of tillage on population cycles and population size of those predators to aid in development of cultural IPM (integrated pest management) strategies for biological control of insect pests in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] double cropped with wheat (Triticum aestivum L). The four tillage regimes used were no tillage and disk tillage with and without in-row subsoiling. Bigeyed bug nymphal and adult population cycles were similar for each tillage/subsoiling treatment. There were differences between years because in 1986 there was considerable overlap of generations, which was not observed in 1985. Disk tillage treatments had higher bigeyed bug nymphal and adult populations than the no tillage treatments in 1985 and 1986, but subsoiling did not influence population size. Damsel bug population cycles were also similar for all tillage/subsoiling treatments in both years. In 1985, populations of adult and nymphal damsel bugs were lower for no tillage without subsoiling than for disk tillage without subsoiling, disk tillage with subsoiling, or no tillage with subsoiling. Population sizes were similar for all treatments in 1986.

Received for publication November 30, 1987.