Spatiotemporal isolation of oilseed rape fields reduces insect pest pressure and crop damage

Pest management is essential to maintain agricultural production, but recent shifts in policies and the development of insecticide resistance have restricted availability insecticides for pest suppression. Identifying landscape-level resource requirements pests complete their life cycles might unveil new sustainable solutions regulate populations prevent crop damage. We assessed effects landscape composition configuration at different spatial scales on flea beetle densities damage 56 spring oilseed rape fields sampled over 5 years Sweden. considered cover non-crop habitats as an aspect distances host alternative previous year, edge density diversity aspects configuration. The distance from year reduced across most species scales. Edge two species, predominantly 500 m radius scale. forests permanent pastures well increased several, mostly larger (1000–2000 m) Increasing pasture scale also Synthesis applications: find that there no one fits all approach designing landscapes regulation habitat use effect are species-specific these pests. However, increasing spatiotemporal isolation a promising potentially more general means disrupting reducing Considering ecological traits possible next step optimise landscape-based management.