Arthropod-Plant Interactions - Call For Papers: Special Issue - Advances in Trap Cropping
The use of Blue Hubbard squash as an effective trap crop against Acalymma vittatum, Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi (both Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) and Anasa tristis (Hemiptera: Coreidae) enables cucurbit growers in the U.S.A. to use insectary plants (buckwheat in this case) given that the cash crop receives no or less insecticide sprays
Special Issue of Arthropod-Plant Interactions
[Title] Advances in Trap Cropping
[Editors] Francisco Rubén Badenes Pérez, Heikki MT Hokkanen and Jaime C. Piñero
[Open for submission] 1 November 2023 – 30 June 2024
[Target issue for publication] Vol. 18 No. 6 (December 2024)
Background
Trap cropping is a technique that is based on the natural behavior of pests, utilizing knowledge of insect-plant interactions to protect crop yields. There has been a surge in research and implementation of trap cropping following the initial reviews of the topic by Hokkanen (1991: Annual Review of Entomology) and Shelton & Badenes-Pérez (2006: Annual Review of Entomology). This Special Issue will explore the recent advances in and benefits of trap cropping in its implementation as a powerful tool in pest management.
The concept of trap cropping is based on the manipulation of insect pest behavior through host plant preference. It involves planting specific plant species, known as trap crops, near the main crop. These trap crops are carefully chosen because they attract and divert pests away from the primary crop. The key to the success of trap cropping as a pest management strategy lies in selecting plants that are highly attractive to pests and, ideally, less appealing to the target crop.
The benefits of trap cropping include reduced pesticide use, enhanced biodiversity, cost-effectiveness, and support for sustainable agriculture. Recent advances in technology, crop diversification, genetic modification, and data analysis have further improved the efficacy of trap cropping strategies. As agriculture continues to evolve towards more sustainable practices, trap cropping is poised to play a crucial role in ecologically-based pest management and seeks to support global food production while preserving the health of our ecosystems.
We hope that this collection of manuscripts will increase the interest of researchers, politicians and stakeholders worldwide in this topic, instigate interdisciplinary research, and support Extension work.
Aims and scope
In this Special Issue, we welcome papers that explore trap cropping principles and in-field applications, including (but not limited to):
- Theoretical basis and principles of successful trap cropping
- Role of increasing species diversity in trap crops
- Dead-end trap cropping
- Integrating trap cropping with other IPM components, such as nursery crops and insectary plants (e.g., flower strips) to support biocontrol
- Integrating chemical ecology applications with trap crops (e.g., attractants, lures, baits, etc.)
- Technical innovations to facilitate or complement trap cropping, such as attracting pollinators
- Examples of successful trap cropping
- Caveats in trap cropping
Important Submission Information
To submit a manuscript for this Special Issue, authors should follow the steps below:
- Authors submit their papers through the following website https://www.editorialmanager.com/apis/default2.aspx (this opens in a new tab)
- Under “Additional Information”, authors must select “Yes” to their manuscript being submitted to a Thematic Series, then choose “SI: Advances in Trap Cropping”
Contact details of SI Editors
Dr. Francisco Rubén Badenes Pérez
Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), C/Serrano, 115-bis, Madrid, Spain
email: fr.badenes@csic.es (this opens in a new tab)
Dr. Heikki MT Hokkanen
Department of Entomology and Nematology
Tropical Research and Education Center
University of Florida, Florida, USA
email: heikkihokkanen@ufl.edu (this opens in a new tab)
Dr. Jaime C. Piñero
University of Massachusetts
Stockbridge School of Agriculture
207 Stockbridge Road/207 Fernald Hall
Amherst, MA 01003
email: jpinero@umass.edu (this opens in a new tab)