BIG NEWS! A new book from the Xerces Society and Storey Publishing: FARMING WITH NATIVE BENEFICIAL INSECTS. Lacewings, lady beetles, and flower flies are just a few of the beneficial insect groups that attack crop pests and reduce the need for pesticides. To increase the abundance and diversity of these hardworking insects on farms, we’re happy to announce the release of “Farming with Native Beneficial Insects,” the most comprehensive book ever developed on the subject of natural pest control. Following in the footsteps of our best-selling “Attracting Native Pollinators,” “Farming with Native Beneficial Insects” provides clear, effective, science-based conservation strategies that increase beneficial insect populations on farms through conservation systems such as native hedgerows, insectary strips, beetle banks, wildlife buffers, cover cropping, and more. Details of how to implement these systems are complemented by sections on pesticide risk reduction, case studies of natural pest control across the U.S., information on assessing the quality of beneficial insect habitat, and a guide to common beneficial insect groups. All of this is accompanied by stunning color photography, step-by-step how-to illustrations, region-specific wildflower seed mix formulas to attract beneficial insects, and research results presented as easy-to-understand graphs. Along with direct benefits to pest management, the strategies highlighted in “Farming with Native Beneficial Insects” also improve farm conditions for pollinators and other wildlife, support soil and water quality protection, and enhance farm aesthetics. All of these features make this book a conservation milestone. The release of “Farming with Native Beneficial Insects” coincides with the Xerces Societys launch of a new nationwide workshop series on the subject of natural pest control, called the Conservation Biological Control Short Course. The course, which will begin in the West and Midwest, provides farmers, crop consultants, and government farm agency staff with a comprehensive, hands-on training in the natural pest management strategies described in the book. A similar workshop model previously offered by Xerces trained tens of thousands of people in farm communities across the U.S. to conserve bees and restore pollinator habitat, and helped facilitate the restoration of more than 100,000 acres of wildflower habitat for bees. More than 250 pages in length, “Farming with Native Beneficial Insects” was co-authored by Xerces ecologists Eric Lee-Mader, Jennifer Hopwood, Mace Vaughan, and Scott Hoffman Black, in partnership with Canadian entomologist-extraordinaire, Dr. Lora Morandin. Dr. Morandins latest work through the University of California, Berkeley studied the effects of native plant hedgerows on beneficial and pest insects in some of the most intensively farmed landscapes on earth. Findings from that research are included throughout the book. “Farming with Native Beneficial Insects” is published by Storey Publishing. Buy “Farming with Native Beneficial Insects” at xerces.org/farming-with-native-beneficial-insects/.
Posted on: Tue, 05 Aug 2014 13:00:08 +0000
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