Project Grant 20236701239891

**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** BENEFICIAL INSECTS CAN PROVIDE VALUABLE ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES SUCH AS PEST CONTROL TO THE SURROUNDING LANDSCAPES BUT ENVIRONMENTS THAT ARE INCREASINGLY DOMINATED BY AGRICULTURAL INTENSIFICATION HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO DECREASED THESE BENEFICIAL INSECTSERVICES. AGRICULTURAL INTENSIFICATION CAN BE DEFINED AS AN EXPANSION OF HIGH INPUT PRACTICES LIKE PESTICIDE USE LEADING TO INCREASED MONOCULTURE AND DECREASED NATURAL HABITATS. THESE LOSSES IN NATURAL HABITATS AND BENEFICIAL SERVICES CAN LEAD TO DECREASES IN BIOCONTROL (AKA PEST CONTROL BY NATURAL ENEMIES) AND INCREASED PEST OUTBREAKS IN CROPPING SYSTEMS THAT ALREADY FACE SUBSTANTIAL PEST CONTROL CHALLENGES. UNDERSTANDING WAYS TO MITIGATE THESE PROBLEMS ON A MEANINGFUL SCALE AND TO RESTORE BIOCONTROL SERVICES IS KEY TO FUTURE SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL EFFORTS. ONE WAY TO POTENTIALLY COMBAT AGRICULTURAL INTENSIFICATION IS BY INCLUDING HABITATS INTO AGRICULTURAL SETTINGS THAT ARE SEMI-NATURAL THEREBY INCREASING THE COMPLEXITY OF THE LANDSCAPE. THE CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM (CRP) IS A FEDERAL PROGRAM THAT SETS ASIDE LAND THROUGH CROPLAND RETIREMENT. CRP COULD BE A LARGE-SCALE WAY OF INTRODUCING COMPLEXITY INTO AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPES, INCREASING AGRICULTURAL SUSTAINABILITY, AND BOOSTING FOOD SECURITY OVERALL.THROUGH A TWO-YEAR SAMPLING FOCUSED STUDY WE WILL EXAMINE CRP IMPACT ON BIOCONTROL SERVICES FROM PARASITOID WASPS THAT ATTACK PESTS IN TWO IMPORTANT BUT CONTRASTING AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS, WHEAT AND ALFALFA. THIS WILL ALLOW US TO MAKE BROAD RECOMMENDATIONS SURROUNDING CRP IMPACTS IN AGRICULTURE. A FIELD STUDY IN NORTHWESTERN NORTH DAKOTA WILL DETERMINE: 1) HOW IS PARASITOID ACTIVITY IN WHEAT AND ALFALFA FIELDS IMPACTED BY SURROUNDING CRP LAND? 2) HOW MUCH DOES OVERALL LANDSCAPE COMPLEXITY CHANGE THE IMPACT OF SURROUNDING CRP? RESULTS WILL BE SHARED THROUGH A SERIES OF PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS TARGETED TOWARDS BOTH PUBLIC STAKEHOLDERS LIKE PRODUCERS AND BIOCONTROL RESEARCHERS. THROUGH THIS PROJECT WE WILL BETTER UNDERSTAND CRP IMPACTS ON BIOCONTROL AND HELP SOLVE PEST CONTROL CHALLENGES IN CRITICAL CROPPING SYSTEMS.