Khan, Z., Ampong-Nyarko, K., Chiliswa, P., Hassanali, A., Kimani, S., Lwande, W., Overholt, W., Pickett, J.  ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8386-3770, Smart, L. and Woodcock, C.
1997.
Intercropping increases parasitism of pests.
Nature
388
(6643)
, pp. 631-632.
10.1038/41681
|
Abstract
As part of a programme for controlling lepidopteran stem-borers in cereal crops in Africa, we have investigated the effectiveness of combined cropping regimes of cultivatedand wild plants for reducing stem-borer damage. Intercropping with the non-host molasses grass, Melinis minutiflora, significantly decreased levels of infestation by stem-borers in the main crop and also increased larval parasitism of stem-borers by Cotesia sesamiae. Volatile agents produced by M. minutiflora repelled female stem-borers and attracted foraging female C. sesamiae. One of the volatile components released by intact M. minutiflora which attract parasitoids is also produced by herbivore-damaged plants and is implicated more widely as a cue for stimulating predation and parasitism.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Date Type: | Publication |
| Status: | Published |
| Schools: | Schools > Chemistry |
| Publisher: | Nature Research |
| ISSN: | 0028-0836 |
| Last Modified: | 25 Feb 2026 10:01 |
| URI: | https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/185201 |
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