Does attracting natural enemies to an orchard by planting a cover crop translate to better biological control of pests in the trees? Dr. David Horton, entomologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Yakima, Washington, hopes to find out. Horton is conducting trials in a research orchard and three commercial organic pear orchards, where he has planted an alfalfa cover crop. He is studying the movement of beneficial insects and their impact on the key pest, pear psylla. When the alfalfa is planted, there tends to be a big build-up of predators, such as damsel bugs, lady beetles, green lacewings, […]