TY - GEN A1 - Arvidsson, Fredrik A1 - Addison, Pia A1 - Addison, Matthew F. A1 - Haddad, C. R. A1 - Birkhofer, Klaus T1 - Weed species, not mulching, affect web‐building spiders and their prey in organic fruit orchards in South Africa T2 - Ecosphere N2 - Weed infestation affects economically relevant orchard properties, including tree performance, yield, and fruit quality negatively, and weeds are therefore often controlled by herbicide application in con- ventional farming. The addition of organic mulch below tree canopies has been proposed as an alternative reliable practice to suppress weeds and preserve soil moisture in organic farming. Mulching, however, may also affect arthropod pest and natural enemy populations, which highlights the need for simultane- ously assessing weed, natural enemy, and animal pest communities in mulch experiments. This study addresses the limited knowledge about nonchemical ground cover management strategies for the control of plant and animal pests in orchards as a major constraint for organic growers. Here, we hypothesize that decisions about ground cover management practices in organic temperate fruit orchards affect the composition of web-building spider communities and their functional role as natural enemies of pest arthropods through effects on weed and insect pest communities. We studied weed, prey, and spider communities, as well as spider diet composition, in four temperate fruit types (apricot, peach, plum, and quince) on a single farm in the Western Cape, South Africa. We established experimental plots with and without addition of dead organic mulch under fruit tree canopies. Addition of organic mulch did not signicantly affect weed cover under trees or the taxonomic composition of weed or spider communities over the eight-month study period. However, independent of mulching, the taxonomic composition of weed communities was signicantly related to the composition of potential prey and spider communities. These relationships indirectly affected the prey composition of web-building spiders. These results suggest that the identity of weed species in the study orchards had a pronounced effect on the diet composition and functional role of web-building spiders. Future research should focus on the value of individual plant species for the promotion of pest control services provided by spiders across larger spatial scales and with higher levels of replication to allow for wider generalizations. The expected results would not only be relevant for weed control but could also be considered during the development of future fower strips in orchards. Y1 - 2020 VL - 11 IS - 3 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Mathulwe, Letodi L. A1 - Jacobs, Karin A1 - Malan, Antoinette P. A1 - Birkhofer, Klaus A1 - Addison, Matthew F. A1 - Addison, Pia T1 - Characterisation of Metarhizium majus (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae) isolated from the Western Cape Province, South Africa. T2 - PloS one N2 - Entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) are important soil-dwelling entomopathogens, which can be used as biological control agents against pest insects. EPF are capable of causing lethal epizootics in pest insect populations in agroecosystems. During a survey of the orchard soil at an organic farm, different EPF species were collected and identified to species level, using both morphological and molecular techniques. The EPF were trapped from soil samples taken from an apricot orchard. The traps, which were baited in the laboratory, used susceptible host insects, including the last-instar larvae of Galleria mellonella (wax moth larvae) and Tenebrio molitor (mealworm larvae). The potential pathogenicity of the local Metarhizium majus isolate was tested and verified using susceptible laboratory-reared last-instar T. molitor larvae. The identification of the M. majus isolated from South African soil was verified using both morphological and molecular techniques. The occurrence of M. majus in the South African soil environment had not previously been reported. Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0240955 SN - 1932-6203 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Bapfubusa Niyibizi, Ingrid Aline A1 - Addison, Pia A1 - Birkhofer, Klaus T1 - Effect of pest control strategies on arthropod pests of apple in Europe : a meta‐analysis. T2 - Journal of applied entomology N2 - Apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) is a major fruit crop in Europe. More than 200 phytophagous arthropod species thrive in European apple orchards, several of which are economically important pests. Due to the pest pressure on apple production, consumer demand for residue-free products and current policies to make food production in the European Union more sustainable, pest management has become an important issue in meeting the high cosmetic standards expected for apples on the fresh fruit market. The aim of this study was to determine the most effective management strategy to reduce the abundance of arthropod pests of apples in Europe. We conducted a Europe-wide meta-analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of integrated pest management (IPM) and organic management in reducing the abundance of arthropod pests. We also examined the differences between synthetic and organic pesticides in terms of pest reduction as a core element of the difference between IPM and organic apple production systems in Europe. We found an overall nonsignificant effect of IPM compared to organic management. However, when comparing synthetic pesticides with organic pesticides, we found that synthetic pesticides were significantly more effective. On the other hand, organic pesticides showed a significant positive effect in controlling pest populations when compared to an absence of treatment. This analysis highlights the effectiveness of synthetic pesticides over organic pesticides, while accounting for the inherent heterogeneity within each group, and suggests that factors beyond insecticide use play an important role in pest reduction in organic and IPM apple production systems in Europe. KW - Apple pests KW - Apple production KW - IPM in Europe KW - Synthetic pesticides KW - Pest management KW - Organic agriculture Y1 - 2025 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/jen.13416 SN - 1439-0418 VL - 2025 SP - 1 EP - 31 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken, New Jersey ER - TY - GEN A1 - Birkhofer, Klaus A1 - Wätzold, Frank A1 - Remelgado, Ruben A1 - Addison, Pia A1 - Aigbedion-Atalor, Pascal A1 - Cord, Anna F. A1 - Ekesi, Sunday A1 - Mutamiswa, Reyard A1 - Rwomushana, Ivan T1 - A framework for multidimensional management of invasive alien insect pests in sub-Saharan Africa T2 - Journal of applied entomology N2 - Invasive alien insect pests pose a significant threat to achieving sustainable food systems in sub-Saharan Africa, where reliance on synthetic pesticides has led to unsustainable practices due to high costs and health and environmental risks. This article presents a multidimensional framework for managing invasive alien insect pests in sub-Saharan Africa, specifically directed at researchers, policymakers, non-governmental organisations and other institutions responsible for invasive pest management as well as extension services for farmers. Invasive pests, such as the Oriental fruit fly and the fall armyworm, and a highly damaging native species for comparison are central to the framework. The framework considers the environmental, socio-economic, and regulatory dimensions of pest management decisions. It reviews different control strategies used against invasive alien pests, highlighting their limitations and environmental impacts. By considering farmer characteristics, institutional support, market demands, and regulatory policies, the article emphasises the need for integrated pest management approaches. The aim is to contribute to the development of sustainable, effective pest management strategies that will ensure long-term agricultural productivity and food security in sub-Saharan Africa. KW - Agriculture KW - Biological control KW - Ecosystem health KW - Food security KW - Socio-economy Y1 - 2026 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/jen.70060 SN - 0931-2048 SP - 1 EP - 10 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim ER -