Cover crops and control of arthropod pests of agriculture

Cover crops can harbor both harmful and beneficial arthropods (1, 3). Damage to cover crops themselves is rarely of concern; more important is the possibility that pests harbored amid cover crops may disperse to adjoining cash crops [see Kennedy and Margolies (31) for a discussion of the dynamics of such mobile pests]. Here, I explore the roles that cover crops play in the life cycles and population dynamics of various arthropods and consider management tactics that may be useful for minimizing pest problems while maximizing beneficial arthropod activity. If through understanding these issues we can reduce the need for insecticides and acaricides, this could reduce the likelihood that these pesticides will contaminate surface water and groundwater.