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Agronomy
Volume 15
Issue 6
10.3390/agronomy15061286
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Plant-Driven Effects of Wildflower Strips on Natural Enemy Biodiversity and Pest Suppression in an Agricultural Landscape in Hangzhou, China

by
Wenhao Hu
1,
Kang Ni
1,
Yu Zhu
2,
Shuyi Liu
1,
Xuhua Shao
1,
Zhenrong Yu
3,
Luyu Wang
4,
Rui Zhang
5,
Meichun Duan
6 and
Wenhui Xu
1,*
1
College of Landscape Architecture, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou 311300, China
2
School of Landscape Architecture, Beijing Forestry University, 35 Tsinghua East 7 Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, China
3
College of Agricultural Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, 2 Yuanmingyuan West Road, Beijing 100193, China
4
College of Life Sciences, Southwest University, No. 2, Tiansheng Road, Beibei District, Chongqing 400715, China
5
College of Biological and Agricultural Sciences, Honghe University, Honghe Road, Mengzi 661199, China
6
College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, No. 2 Tiansheng Road Beibei District, Chongqing 400715, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Agronomy 2025, 15(6), 1286; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15061286
Submission received: 4 April 2025 / Revised: 14 May 2025 / Accepted: 20 May 2025 / Published: 23 May 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Agricultural Biosystem and Biological Engineering)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Agricultural intensification has led to biodiversity loss and compromised ecosystem services, necessitating sustainable pest management strategies. This study evaluates the efficacy of wildflower strips (WFS) in enhancing natural enemy communities and suppressing pest activity in rice-wheat rotation landscapes of eastern China. An experiment compared WFS (10-species mixtures) with natural grass strips (CK) across biodiversity, functional traits, and pest dynamics. WFS significantly increased parasitic wasp α-diversity (species richness: +195.5%, activity density: +362.0%) and suppressed pest (Armadillidium vulgare) populations by 68%, primarily through female-biased sex ratios and functional trait shifts. Key species like Lindenius mesopleuralis and Ectemnius continuus emerged as indicators of WFS habitats. Spider communities showed no β-diversity differentiation but exhibited functional guild shifts (e.g., web-building specialists). Plant community composition, particularly floral resource availability and phenological continuity, drove natural enemy assembly and pest regulation, outperforming the CK group in rare species conservation. Our findings highlight WFS as a precision tool for enhancing pest control through targeted plant selection and trait-mediated interactions. This study advances the understanding of habitat-driven pest regulation, providing a framework for optimizing ecological intensification in agroecosystems.
Keywords: wildflower strip; agricultural landscapes; natural enemy diversity; pest suppression; ecosystem services wildflower strip; agricultural landscapes; natural enemy diversity; pest suppression; ecosystem services

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Hu, W.; Ni, K.; Zhu, Y.; Liu, S.; Shao, X.; Yu, Z.; Wang, L.; Zhang, R.; Duan, M.; Xu, W. Plant-Driven Effects of Wildflower Strips on Natural Enemy Biodiversity and Pest Suppression in an Agricultural Landscape in Hangzhou, China. Agronomy 2025, 15, 1286. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15061286

AMA Style

Hu W, Ni K, Zhu Y, Liu S, Shao X, Yu Z, Wang L, Zhang R, Duan M, Xu W. Plant-Driven Effects of Wildflower Strips on Natural Enemy Biodiversity and Pest Suppression in an Agricultural Landscape in Hangzhou, China. Agronomy. 2025; 15(6):1286. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15061286

Chicago/Turabian Style

Hu, Wenhao, Kang Ni, Yu Zhu, Shuyi Liu, Xuhua Shao, Zhenrong Yu, Luyu Wang, Rui Zhang, Meichun Duan, and Wenhui Xu. 2025. "Plant-Driven Effects of Wildflower Strips on Natural Enemy Biodiversity and Pest Suppression in an Agricultural Landscape in Hangzhou, China" Agronomy 15, no. 6: 1286. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15061286

APA Style

Hu, W., Ni, K., Zhu, Y., Liu, S., Shao, X., Yu, Z., Wang, L., Zhang, R., Duan, M., & Xu, W. (2025). Plant-Driven Effects of Wildflower Strips on Natural Enemy Biodiversity and Pest Suppression in an Agricultural Landscape in Hangzhou, China. Agronomy, 15(6), 1286. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15061286

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