Example of promising results from functional agrobiodiversity in Estonia

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Example of promising results from functional
agrobiodiversity in Estonia

• Iiri Selge
• Agricultural Research Centre
• 2nd European Seminar on
• European Learning Network on Functional
  AgroBiodiversity
• 24 - 25 September 2009, Frick, Switzerland

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Policy frame to halt the biodiversity loss

• EU Common Agricultural Policy axis 2
• Improving the environment and the countryside
• through land management

Agri-environment scheme (AES)
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Where do our expertise come from?
To get feedback about the impacts of AES,
monitoring and evaluation is implemented
The independent evaluator for the RDP 2004-2006
AES and for Axis II measures of Estonian RDP
2007-2013 is Agricultural Research Centre
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How the rings form a chain?
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How the rings form a chain?
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Evaluation data is collected through existing
databases, farm visits and through special
studies on indicators

• SOIL
• Soil organic matter and soil fertility
• Soil fertility (pH, K, P)
• Soil nutrient dynamics

• WATER
• Nutrient balance
• Pesticide use
• Water quality

• LANDSCAPE
• Change in the landscape structure in terms of
  point, linear and area elements
• General upkeep (visual appearance) of the farm

• BIODIVERSITY
• Farmland birds
• Bumble bees
• Earthworms, soil microbes
• Vascular plants

• SOCIO-ECONOMIC
• Family farm income
• Share of organic products sold as organic
• Environmental awareness

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Bumble bees

• Methodology
• Since 2006, 66 monitoring farms each year
• Transect method (3 x June-August)
• Bumble bee species, abundance and flower density
  is noted down
• Monitoring is carried out every year by Estonian
  University of Life Sciences

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Shannons diversity index of bumble bees,
2006-2008
The Shannons diversity index of bumble bees
was significantly lower in farms not joined with
agri-environment support scheme (SAPS) than in
organic farms (OF) or farms with
environmentally friendly (EPS) production
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The significance of flower density to bumble bee
indicators, 2006-2008
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The correlation between bumble bee indicators
andthe average area of arable fields in 2007

• In 2007 a significant negative correlation was
  found between
• the number of bumble bees and the average area
  of arable fields
• the number of bumble bee species and the average
  area of arable fields
• The number of bumble bees and bumble bee species
  decreased
• remarkably after the average area of arable
  fields reached 5-6 ha

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• Many fields are ploughed to roadside
• flowering field and road edges are missing
• (food resource to bumble bees and parasitoids who
  control the
• number of pests)!
• Pollinators need food resource from early
  spring to late autumn!

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• Not only are the field study results important,
  it is even more important
• how to make use of those data?
• Does the information reach to the policy
  designer?

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Field larger than 20 ha
Public road
2 5m wide strip
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How to bring the knowledge to the farmers?

• Stick and carrot?

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Is the consultancy service the only source for
spreading the knowledge?

• In the frame of RDP AE support in Estonia there
  are compulsory trainings for the farmers.
• Intrigue farmers
• what nature can do
• for them?

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Conservation and enhancement of biodiversity in
the agroecosystem diverse field margins,
mosaic landscape
Recent science results
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• Pterostichus
• Harpalus
• Amara
• Bembidion

There are 52 species of ground beatles found in
Estonian crops (Luik et al 2005). The most common
are specimens from genera.
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Diverse field margins are enhancing antagonists
of plant pests in the crop (1)
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Diverse field margins are enhancing antagonists
of plant pests in the crop (2)
Mean ( SE) number of parasitized M. aeneus
larvae per oilseed rape plant in winter oilseed
rape fields in Estonia, 2005.
Veromann et al. 2006. The impact of field edges
on the incidence of Meligethes aeneus Fab. larvae
and their parasitisation in spring and winter
oilseed rape. Agronomy Research, vol. 4, 447450.
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Diverse field margins are enhancing antagonists
of plant pests and diseases in the crops
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Mixed cropping is avoiding or decreasing the
colonization of the pests and diseases and
offering new habitats for beneficial organisms
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Mixed cropping of carrots and garden beans
increased the number of carabids and decreased
the damage of carrots
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Cropping system has an impact on pests and their
natural enemies abundance on the crop
Mean abundance ( SE) of old and new generation
of the pest M. aeneus per trap on Pilsu Farm,
Tartu County, 20032005.
Veromann et al. 2008. Do cropping system and
insecticide use in spring oilseed rape affect th
eabundance of pollen beetles (Meligethes aeneus
Fab.) on the crop? International Journal of Pest
management, 541, 14.
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Mean number of carabids per pitfall trap (A) and
key parasitoids of M. aeneus per yellow water
trap (B) in spring oilseed rape fields in
minimised (MIN) and standard (STN) cropping
systems in the Pilsu Farm, Tartu County in 2005
A
B
Luik, et al. 2006. A comparison of the pests,
parasitoids and predators on winter and spring
oilseed rape crops in Estonia. Proceedings of
International Symposium of Integrated Pest
Management in Oilseed Rape, Göttingen, 3-5 April
2006.
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• Science ? practical value
• Importance of innovation
• A chain is only as strong as its weakest link

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• Thank you for attention!

Contacts Agricultural Research Centre Iiri
Selge, iiri.selge_at_pmk.agri.ee More information
http//pmk.agri.ee/pkt University of Life
Sciences Eve Veromann, eve.veromann_at_emu.ee