High agricultural intensity at the landscape scale benefits pests, but low intensity practices at the local scale can mitigate these effects

Agricultural production has intensified over the last century both across increasingly homogenized landscapes and at field level. This study analyzes effects of land-use intensity landscape local scales on main insect pests, predators yield grain sorghum as a summer crop in Uruguay. It represents one very few studies focused reduced system other than organic agriculture adds information from an under-studied subtropical region. Piecewise structural equation models were used to compare direct indirect intensification more sustainable practices scale densities Spodoptera frugiperda (fall armyworm) Rhopalosiphum maidis (corn leaf aphid), coccinellid abundance two-year period fields western Greater resulted increased S. densities. Lower crop-grazing rotation systems R. compared continuous cropping systems. Additionally, interacted indirectly through apparent commensalism systems, but not rotational Single management lower density, while insecticide use had no effect pest or predator species. Our analysis affirms that agricultural benefits herbivorous arthropod pests scale, can mitigate some these effects.