Line of action:

Terrestrial ecosystems

Status:

Finalizado

Execution date:

2019

Total budget:

€29,801.49

Amount of aid from the Biodiversity Foundation:

€20,861.04

According to the entity, biological control by native predators is consolidating itself as an alternative and complementary tool to integrated pest control.
In agricultural systems, nest boxes for birds and refuges for bats, respectively, are expected to increase their populations and consolidate their role in the management and management of biological control.
Specifically, it is known that both birds and bats are capable of controlling certain pest species such as the grapevine moth (Lobesia botrana) and the apple moth or carpocapsa (Cydia pomonella), two of the most important pests of both crops.
The objective of this project is to develop a methodology to enhance biological control by birds and bats in vineyard and cider crops with Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) “Getariako Txakolina” and “Euskal Sagardoa”.
Both crops play an important role in the agroforestry mosaic of the Cantabrian coast and, especially, in the Basque Country, given that they are emblematic crops that occupy a significant area (around 1,000 hectares), currently growing.

The main objective of the project is to highlight and quantify the importance of biological control by native predators in traditional agricultural systems on the Cantabrian coast. It has the following specific goals:

• To disseminate the importance of birds and bats as biological controllers in agricultural systems.
• To determine the impact of native predators on pests of apple and vine crops.

• Communication of the objectives of the project and dissemination and enhancement of the use of native predators, such as birds and bats, for pest control.
• Communication and dissemination actions, such as press conferences or guided tours of a restored crop with bird nest boxes and bat shelters.
• Quantification of the consumption of pest species by birds and bats and evaluationof the predator pact on the biological control of pests.
• Prepare a compilation document of all the interviews, reports, radio and television tickets related to the dissemination of the project, an informative brochure on the cycle of conferences, and, finally, an explanatory dossier with the most significant results.
• To obtain numerical values on the consumption of pest species by native predators and the impact of these on the pest under control has been quantified and evaluated.
• Select 8 plots, using updatedsatellite images , holding meetings with the staff of both D.O.P. and visiting the selected farms.
• Install nest boxes for birds and bat shelters geo‐referenced by GPS and all the information was integrated into GIS for subsequent individualized monitoring.
• Periodic monitoring of the occupation of nest boxes and shelters, making at least one visit every two weeks.
• To measure the incidence of insect-caused pests through sex pheromone-based traps to measure the abundance of grapevine grapevine moth (Lobesia botrana) and carpocapsa (Cydia pomonella) in apple orchards.
• Perform a statistical analysis to relate the presence and rate of colonization of bird and bat refuges with the presence and/or abundance of pests.

• The project has contributed to restoring populations of native predators capable of combating insect pests by placing nest boxes for birds (mainly and chickadees) and shelters for bats.
• 16 plots have been selected (8 vineyards and 8 apple orchards) and divided, in turn, into 8 restored plots with nest boxes for birds and bat shelters and 8 unrestored plots.
  In total, 145 nest boxes and 29 shelters for birds and bats have been placed.
• Regarding the use of nest boxes by birds, it has been observed that the response has been very fast and positive, with the average occupancy rate being 40%.
  As for bats, the occupancy rate has been low, but it is expected to increase over successive seasons.
• Through the use of video cameras, it has been verified that each pair of birds occupying each nest box performs an average of 134 fattening per day, which allows us to deduce that the minimum consumption of insects during the reproductive period is 11,000 insects/ha for each restored crop.