This Agricology (UK) guide aims to enable growers to be part of the solution rather than the problem. With declining insect abundance, and diminishing options for effective insecticides, it has never been more important to understand and support the beneficial insects living on your farm and attracting others from the wider environment.
The guide explains how beneficial insects and other predatory arthropods can provide effective, natural crop protection as part of integrated pest management (IPM). It introduces key predator groups, explains their life cycles and habitats, and shows how they suppress pests while supporting wider ecosystem services. The guide outlines practical ways to encourage these species through habitat creation, reduced pesticide use, diverse cropping, cover crops, field margins, beetle banks and reduced tillage.
Case studies demonstrate how conservation biological control can reduce reliance on insecticides while maintaining productivity, improving biodiversity and increasing the resilience of farming systems.
