Accessibility navigation


Perennial flower strips can be a cost‐effective tool for pest suppression in orchards

Howard, C. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6049-9427, Burgess, P. J., Fountain, M. T., Brittain, C. and Garratt, M. P. D. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0196-6013 (2025) Perennial flower strips can be a cost‐effective tool for pest suppression in orchards. Journal of Agricultural Economics. ISSN 0021-857X

[thumbnail of Open Access]
Preview
Text (Open Access) - Published Version
· Available under License Creative Commons Attribution.
· Please see our End User Agreement before downloading.

1MB

It is advisable to refer to the publisher's version if you intend to cite from this work. See Guidance on citing.

To link to this item DOI: 10.1111/1477-9552.12631

Abstract/Summary

Flower strips can provide many economic benefits in commercial orchards, including reducing crop damage by a problematic pest, rosy apple aphid ( Dysaphis plantaginea [Passerini]). To explore the financial costs and benefits of this effect, we developed a bio‐economic model to compare the establishment and opportunity costs of perennial wildflower strips with benefits derived from increased yields due to reduced D. plantaginea fruit damage under high and low pest pressure. This was calculated across three scenarios: (1) a flower strip on land that would otherwise be an extension of the standard grass headland, (2) a flower strip on land that could otherwise be used to produce apples and (3) a flower strip in the centre of an orchard. Through reduction of D. plantaginea fruit damage alone, our study shows that flower strips on the headland can be a positive financial investment. If non‐crop land was not available, establishment of a flower strip in the centre of an orchard, instead of the edge, could recoup opportunity costs by providing benefits to crops on both sides of the flower strip. Our study can help guide the optimal placement of flower strips and inform subsidy value for these schemes.

Item Type:Article
Refereed:Yes
Divisions:Life Sciences > School of Agriculture, Policy and Development > Department of Sustainable Land Management > Centre for Agri-environmental Research (CAER)
ID Code:122565
Publisher:Wiley

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

University Staff: Request a correction | Centaur Editors: Update this record

Page navigation