FABA BEANS AS A COVER CROP IN ORGANICALLY GROWN HOPS - INFLUENCE ON APHIDS AND APHID ANTAGONISTS

Habitat management to enhance and influence aphid antagonists was inve stigated as a new strategy to control aphids (Phorodon humuli Schr.) i n hops (Humulus lupulus L.). As faba beans (Vicia faba L.) are regular ly infested with aphids, cultivating them as a cover crop should incre ase numbers of aphid antagonists. Cutting the beans was intended to tr igger the dispersal of predators to the hop plants. Although there wer e indications for such a dispersal, aphid numbers on hops were lowest in the control plot without a cover crop. At the end of July, all plot s were almost free of aphids, and hop cones were never infested. Impli cations for pest management in hops are discussed.