Influence of plant perenniality and diversity on predation of sentinel pests in three model biofuel crops

Biofuel production could affect large areas of the agricultural landscape, potentially affecting arthropods and the ecosystem services they provide. Proposed biofuel crops range from annual monocultures to perennial polycultures. These crops may support different levels of ecosystem services, both within a crop patch and across the landscape. To address this, we quantified removal of sentinel pest eggs, larvae and weed seeds in corn, switchgrass and mixed prairie scattered across Michigan and Wisconsin. We then related pest removal to biofuel crop perenniality, plant diversity, and the composition of the surrounding landscape. Results suggest that all these factors influence rates of pest removal within biofuel crops. Choices among different biofuel crops could influence pest suppression within the crop and across farmscapes, affecting the sustainability of biofuel production.