Understanding how crop management affects beneficial organisms
On behalf of CropLife Europe, ADAS reviewed agricultural practices in wheat and apple production to understand how everyday management decisions affect beneficial organisms.
This research places the effects of plant protection products (PPPs) in the wider context of agricultural production, recognising that many routine farming activities also have significant impacts, despite not being subject to the same regulatory scrutiny.
Read the full reportBackground
Non-target terrestrial organisms (NTTOs), such as earthworms, beetles, spiders, soil mites and butterfly larvae, play an essential role in agriculture – contributing to soil health, nutrient cycling, natural pest control and biodiversity.
While regulatory assessments often focus on PPPs, the impact of routine crop management practices is rarely considered.
ADAS was commissioned to investigate how common agricultural practices affect NTTO populations within two important European production systems: winter wheat and apple orchards.
The aim was to better understand how everyday farming operations interact with biodiversity, and provide evidence to support a more balanced environmental policy and risk assessment.
Actions
ADAS examined common crop management practices for winter wheat (in France, Poland and the UK) and apples (in Italy and Poland) including:
- Soil cultivation and tillage
- Fertiliser application
- Pest and disease management
- Mowing and vegetation management
- Harvesting operations
- Crop rotation
This helped build a clearer understanding of how multiple farming activities combine to influence habitats, food sources and shelter for non-target organisms.
We also undertook a review of published literature on the impacts of five key agricultural practices—tillage, fertilisation, mowing, harvesting and crop rotation—on NTTO communities.
Results from the literature review
Tillage was consistently identified as one of the most damaging practices for soil-dwelling organisms. Intensive cultivation, particularly ploughing, can reduce populations by disturbing habitats and disrupting soil structure.
In contrast, reduced tillage and no-till systems generally support greater biodiversity and healthier soils. Recovery of affected populations following changes in cultivation intensity can take four to ten years, although outcomes depended on species characteristics and environmental conditions.
The effects of fertilisation varied depending on the type and rate of application.
Organic fertilisers generally benefit NTTOs by increasing soil organic matter and food availability. In contrast, synthetic fertilisers can have both positive and negative effects. Moderate applications may improve biomass and abundance, while excessive applications could lead to soil acidification and chemical stress. Surface-dwelling and soil-dwelling organisms often respond differently.
Mowing generally has negative effects on NTTOs through direct mortality and habitat removal. Species occupying the vegetation canopy, such as spiders and lepidopteran larvae, are particularly vulnerable, while ground-dwelling beetles experience more moderate impacts. Measures such as leaving refuge areas, using patchy mowing patterns, delaying cutting, and retaining cut vegetation can reduce harmful effects.
Very little direct research was found on harvesting impacts despite it being an essential agricultural activity. Combine harvesting in arable crops is likely to kill organisms present within the crop canopy. Root crop harvesting may have impacts similar to intensive cultivation because of the significant soil disturbance involved.
The effects of crop rotation depended largely on the crops grown and their associated management practices.
Cereal phases often support soil organisms because they typically involve less disturbance. Break-crop phases can cause short-term losses due to more intensive cultivation or cover-crop incorporation. More diverse rotations can benefit certain species but may also increase disturbance frequency for others.
Key findings
- Intensive tillage had the greatest negative impact on many soil-dwelling organisms
- Organic fertilisation generally provided benefits for NTTO communities
- Mowing can significantly affect species living in vegetation, although practical mitigation measures are available
- Harvesting remains an under-researched area despite its potential ecological impact
- Different species respond differently to management practices, meaning NTTOs cannot be treated as a single group
Agricultural practices interact with one another, influencing habitats, food availability and ecological communities across the production cycle. Changes to one management practice can create knock-on effects throughout the wider system.
Impact
By placing the effects of PPPs alongside other routine farming activities, the study offers a more complete picture of the factors shaping NTTO populations.
Studies like this support the development of more holistic, systems-based approaches to environmental risk assessment that recognise both food production requirements and the need to protect biodiversity.
Discover more insight
Understanding crop management in apples and wheat and the impacts of crop management on NTTOs.
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