Winter cover crops shape early?season predator communities and trophic interactions

Despite the dynamic nature of annual cropping systems, few studies have investigated how structure predator communities and their interactions with prey corresponds crop seasonality. Adding winter habitat, such as cover crops, improves soil health likely contributes seasonal habitat availability for arthropod communities. Stable may lead to functionally diverse predatory associated ecosystem services, biological control. Here, we estimated community functional changes based on foraging traits determined by molecular gut–content analysis (MGCA) in response crops (rye crimson clover) a cotton agroecosystem. Predators were collected from replicated 1-ha experimental field plots during each major stage development 2017 2018, MGCA was used estimate roles responses treatments. Cotton planted into rye residue promoted unique early mid-season compared no-cover fields. Correspondingly, observed dissimilar consumption among Winter led an increase alternative incidental pests natural enemies seedling encouraged high diversity that aligns temporally potential early-season pest outbreaks. Therefore, commonly employed erosion benefits also contribute management providing resources boost