Flower Power: The farmers researching flower margins to attract beneficial insects to control pests

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This film follows Frances Standen and other members of an AHDB-sponsored field lab who are exploring whether planted flower strips and flower margins are effective at attracting ‘natural enemies’ - beneficial insects, onto their farms.
Looking to enhance natural pest control by attracting predatory insects in their arable fields, the group hope to be able to reduce the use of purchased pesticides, thereby reducing working costs.
The six farmers in this field lab are working with researchers to collect data using pitfall and sticky traps to assess the abundance and diversity of species in their fields. This is being compared with areas without flowering habitats. The triallists (both organic and conventional farmers), hope to unlock more knowledge about how to attract and support the right insect populations by looking at the impact of flower establishment techniques, flower species mixes, and distribution of flowering features on farm.
Frances has leveraged a wide range of flowers and plants located in strips across their farm's 120 hectares, which attract a variety of insects. They also graze sheep on the flowering strips as an effective way of keeping the balance of flowers and grasses in check.

[@sirsydneycamm1883]

I've always imagined that a soggy ditch at the bottom of a field could be full of the right plants to absorb the nitrate and fertiliser run off that, if not a crop like cress, could be ploughed back in to the top of the field and reduce fertiliser use.

[@drnayamotullah]

#beautiful. Continue