Weeds-beneficial entomofauna ecological relation in silvopastoral systems of western Cuba

Abstract

The objective of the study was to determine the species of weeds and beneficial entomofauna present in the silvopastoralsystems(SPSs) evaluatedinwestern Cuba, aswellastheirecologicalinterrelationinthoseanimalhusbandry agroecosystems. For such purpose, during one year eight SPSs composed by associations of L. leucocephala plus pasture grasses were sampled. The weeds were sampled at the beginning and end of the experiment; while the beneficial insects were collected every 15 days, for their identification in each case. A total of 34 weeds and 79 beneficial insect species were found. From the former, five are considered possible hosts of 27 beneficial insects that were captured (11 predators, 12 parasitoids and 4 pollinators). Among them, in the first group five ladybird beetles stood out as bioregulators of Heteropsylla cubana (main pest of L. leucocephala worldwide) and a thrip-controlling flower bug; while in the second group an ichneumonid and several chalcid wasps that regulate Spodoptera frugiperda stood out; and in the third group the bee Apis melifera stood out as pollinator. It was proven that it is necessary to determine which are the weed species whose presence is convenient in SPSs in order to enhance the ecological processes that occur in them, based on agrodiversity, the area covered by the prevailing pastures and the management of these productive systems; this would contribute to propitiate the regulation of the main associated pests and to maintain the biological balance, as occurred in the evaluated paddocks, in order to reach the economic and environmental sustainability of such agroecosystems in time.