Dynamics of useful arthropods in two cereal agroecosystems from the Transylvania Plain

Ana Maria Vălean, Adina-Daniela Tărău, Laura Şopterean,  Loredana Suciu , Felicia Chețan, Florin Russu

 ARDS Turda

Keywords: wheat, agroforestry curtains, pests, useful arthropods.

 Abstract: Wheat is a basic crop that plays a crucial role in global food security, being one of the most cultivated grain crops in the world. However, the impact of high temperatures and drought, which are becoming more frequent, pose significant challenges for wheat production. Agroforestry protective curtains included in agricultural systems are seen as a solution to mitigate the negative effects of climate change on wheat production. In addition to the multiple benefits that agroforestry curtains, there is also favorable habitats that offer for useful arthropods, which can have a direct impact on the wheat crop. Useful arthropods, such as predatory insects and spiders, play an important role in controlling wheat pest populations, thus reducing the use of pesticides. The objective of this research is to present the useful species identified in two cereal agroecosystems, in a field with agroforestry curtains and in an open field, in the Transylvanian Plateau. For the collection and identification of the species, 100 double sweep-net were made every decade with the help of the entomological net. In the three years (2022, 2023, 2024) in which the research was carried out, the most important useful arthropods species captured belong to the orders Araneae, Coleoptera, Hemiptera, Neuroptera, Diptera, the highest abundance being obtained in the order Aranea.