Hedgerows enhance beneficial insects on California farms

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A hedgerow lines fi elds at Fong Farms in Yolo County.

Hedgerows are trees, shrubs, forbs and perennial grasses bordering farm fields. Their many documented benefits in agricultural landscapes include enhanced weed control, water quality, soil fauna, erosion control, sediment retention, game hunting and biodiversity. In the next issue of California Agriculture journal, UC researchers present the results of a 2-year study comparing hedgerows and weedy areas near farms in the Sacramento Valley. The hedgerows had greater numbers of beneficial insects than pests while adjacent weedy areas showed the opposite trend, demonstrating that hedgerows may serve as replacement vegetation for weedy areas to encourage beneficial insects rather than pests in field crop edges.

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