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<p>Wheat aphids represent a major constraint to sustainable cereal production, yet their control remains largely dependent on chemical insecticides, with well-documented ecological and resistance-related drawbacks. Diversifying crop habitats using functional plants offers a promising alternative, but the relative effectiveness of different spatial configurations and their mechanistic links to pest regulation and yield remain poorly resolved. Here, we conducted a two-year field experiment to assess how contrasting pea-based field layouts influence wheat aphids (<i>Sitobion avenae</i> and <i>Rhopalosiphum padi</i>), their natural enemies, arthropod community structure, and wheat yield. Four treatments were compared: a blank control, conventional management, pea intercropping, and pea circle cropping. Aphid and natural enemy dynamics, community diversity indices, and yield components were quantified, and structural equation modeling was used to disentangle direct and indirect effects of field layout on pest regulation and yield formation. Both pea-based layouts significantly reduced mean densities of <i>R. padi</i>, while responses of <i>S. avenae</i> varied between years. Pea intercropping and circle cropping consistently increased the abundance of natural enemies, particularly parasitoids, and enhanced arthropod community diversity and evenness. Natural enemies were strongly aggregated in pea strips, highlighting their role as functional habitats. Wheat yield was significantly higher in pea-based systems than in the untreated control, with pea circle cropping delivering the most stable and highest yields across years. Structural equation modeling revealed that pea layouts were positively associated with yield, primarily through increased natural enemy abundance and reduced aphid pressure. Overall, our results demonstrate that spatial configuration of functional plants is an important factor influencing aphid and natural enemy dynamics in wheat systems. Pea circle cropping, in particular, represents an effective ecological intensification strategy that was associated with lower aphid abundance, supports beneficial arthropod communities, and stabilizes crop yield, offering a practical pathway toward reduced pesticide reliance in cereal agroecosystems.</p>

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Pea-driven habitat diversification strengthens trophic regulation in wheat agroecosystems

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月14日

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  • Jiaqi Yang,
  • Hongyuan Zi,
  • Xueqing Yang,
  • Tiantao Zhang,
  • Xiaoling Tan

摘要

Wheat aphids represent a major constraint to sustainable cereal production, yet their control remains largely dependent on chemical insecticides, with well-documented ecological and resistance-related drawbacks. Diversifying crop habitats using functional plants offers a promising alternative, but the relative effectiveness of different spatial configurations and their mechanistic links to pest regulation and yield remain poorly resolved. Here, we conducted a two-year field experiment to assess how contrasting pea-based field layouts influence wheat aphids (Sitobion avenae and Rhopalosiphum padi), their natural enemies, arthropod community structure, and wheat yield. Four treatments were compared: a blank control, conventional management, pea intercropping, and pea circle cropping. Aphid and natural enemy dynamics, community diversity indices, and yield components were quantified, and structural equation modeling was used to disentangle direct and indirect effects of field layout on pest regulation and yield formation. Both pea-based layouts significantly reduced mean densities of R. padi, while responses of S. avenae varied between years. Pea intercropping and circle cropping consistently increased the abundance of natural enemies, particularly parasitoids, and enhanced arthropod community diversity and evenness. Natural enemies were strongly aggregated in pea strips, highlighting their role as functional habitats. Wheat yield was significantly higher in pea-based systems than in the untreated control, with pea circle cropping delivering the most stable and highest yields across years. Structural equation modeling revealed that pea layouts were positively associated with yield, primarily through increased natural enemy abundance and reduced aphid pressure. Overall, our results demonstrate that spatial configuration of functional plants is an important factor influencing aphid and natural enemy dynamics in wheat systems. Pea circle cropping, in particular, represents an effective ecological intensification strategy that was associated with lower aphid abundance, supports beneficial arthropod communities, and stabilizes crop yield, offering a practical pathway toward reduced pesticide reliance in cereal agroecosystems.