Strip intercropping of wheat and oilseed rape enhances biodiversity and biological pest control in a conventionally managed farm scenario

1. Conventional agriculture in the global north is typically characterized by large monocultures, commonly managed with high levels of pesticide or fertilizer input and mechanization. Strip-intercropping, i.e., diversifying cropland growing strips different crops using conventional machinery, may be a viable strategy to promote natural predator diversity associated biological pest control such farming systems. 2. We tested influence strip-intercropping conventionally winter wheat oilseed rape, common machinery 27-36 m broad strips, on arthropod control. spider carabid beetle communities, calculated aphid pollen densities, recorded parasitism rates for both (number mummified aphids number parasitized larvae rape). 3. observed significant reduction densities (50% decrease) (20% areas compared monocultures. Parasitism increased significantly from 10% monocultures 25% areas. The did not show same pattern but was higher towards center rape strip. Overall, composition communities benefited close neighborhood two crop species as beetles were more abundant spiders fields. reduced dominance one group allowed an equal representation mixture. 4. Synthesis applications: Our study presents evidence benefits adopting relatively (adapted existing machinery) large-scale farm scenario. Wheat-oilseed aphids, promoted groups well beyond monoculture. reducing area dedicated only crop, implementation adapted mechanized agricultural scenarios can used increase heterogeneity at regional scales enhance biodiversity control, even simplified landscapes dominated agriculture.