Project Number
US E PA 02

Project title
Scoping study to investigate the effect of mulches on insect communities in pome fruit and vines

Project leader
Addison, P

Institution
University of Stellenbosch. Department of Entomology.

Team members
Addison, M F
Pringle, K L

Project description
The benefits of the use of compost and mulches in orchards and vineyards are well documented. However, the effects of these on insect communities remain largely unresearched. The increasing use of mulches in the South African fruit and wine industry requires that the effects of such practices on insect communities within orchards and vineyards be investigated. The ultimate aim of this project is to do initial scoping to establish the most effective research direction for a trial investigating mulches from an entomological perspective. It is envisaged that the second stage of this project would investigate the effects of mulches in a multidisciplinary trial environment.

Article
Addison, P, Baauw, A H, Groenewald, G A. 2013. An initial investigation of the effects of mulch layers on soil dwelling arthropod assemblages in vineyards, South African Journal of Enology and Viticulture, v. 34 (2) (p. 266-271)
Article.pdf

FinalReport.pdf