I guess I'm not sure what is meant by "semi-natural edges". How far from the crop and is it a zone where whatever grasses, forbs, and shrubs grow feral?

Proper citation for the above linked and only recently published article is required. Exporting without proper attached citation is prohibited on the site.

Per citation instructions attached to the article:

Balzan, M. V. and Moonen, A.-C. (2014), Field margin vegetation enhances biological control and crop damage suppression from multiple pests in organic tomato fields. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata, 150: 45�"65. doi: 10.1111/eea.12142

digdirt, I am not sure of the meaning of your post. Do you feel that my giving the actual link is not a proper citation? Or are you asking me to cut and paste the full paper because you feel that as long as I give the proper citation it is allowed?
------------------------------------------------
Regarding pnbrown's question: "A simple wildflower mixture was sown in each field on two dates to increase the flowering period. The first sowing date was 7��"14 days after the planting of tomatoes, while an adjacent strip was sown 14 days later. Sown flower strips were 25 m long and 3 m wide. Sown seed mixtures consisted of 4��"5 plant species native or established within the Mediterranean region, and which are known to flower during the summer months, and to produce floral nectar,
and for this reason have often been included in wildflower
strips. During the first growing season, borage (Borago officinalis L.) did not germinate and was thus removed from the flower mixture of the subsequent year (2012). Another two species, fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) and hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth), were added to this initial floral mixture during 2012 (Table 1)............."The sown wildflower strips and regenerated margins were either on the same side of the field at a distance of 30 mfrom each other or, when it was not possible to accommodate this setup in a central part of a field edge, they were placed on opposite margins. When treatment
strips were sown on opposite field margins, the treatment
plots were always at a distance of more than 30 m and
were characterized by a similar surrounding vegetation
(e.g., both adjacent to a herbaceous margin) and the adjacent land-use cover for all margins in all fields was arable land (Appendix 1). "

From the instructions:
"How to Cite
Balzan, M. V. and Moonen, A.-C. (2014), Field margin vegetation enhances biological control and crop damage suppression from multiple pests in organic tomato fields. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata, 150: 45��"65. doi: 10.1111/eea.12142"

Henry - Instead of robo-pasting these things, please add some commentary about WHY you think it's relevant to the average home gardener. And HOW you think we can implement it in a home garden.

In other words: put some thought into what you are doing instead of flooding the forum with posts.

Arable field margins and conservation strips have been used here for many years as wildlife corridors and havens under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. While this is an excellent practice it is not news and it's not something I can usefully employ in my tiny home garden. I could post links but Googling will bring up plenty of references for anyone who really wants them.

lazygardens, your suggestion is one way to introduce a discussion. I normally do not follow that route because I do not think that there is such a thing as an average reader of this forum (for example, some may be just starting out and some may be experts). Also being a forum for Organic Gardeners, it can cover a very wide range of interests (i.e. plants). This research was undertaken for organic tomato fields. I grow organic roses. Those interested in organic tomatoes can discuss it if they feel discussion is of interest to them. Others may feel that they may want to apply the concept to their organic garden plants. For organic roses it is common to try to attract beneficial insects and discourage "bad" bugs. I would be very interested if someone would take the time to post a reference to a scientific study concerning the growing of organic roses .

Henry, I like what lazygardens posted. Please put some warmth into your posts.

wayne, perhaps you will be interested in this post from 8/30/1995.

" FMF...@prodigy.com (Henry Kuska) wrote:
>>Perhaps the difference is that many people in rec.gardening are growing
>>things they eat. Whereas here we would not usually ingest the chemicals
>we
>>use, merely breathe them and absorb them through the skin, which should
>be
>>perfectly harmless.
>>
> Well said. I hope people get your point.
A second reading shows the dry humor of Mr Kuska and I apologize for
thinking him a promoter of poison, which is precisely what he is not.

There has been a lot of field work among organic and conventional farmers here in California on planting or managing beneficial habitats on field margins and even within fields as special strip planting. Lygus bugs (similar to aphids) tend to pour out of wildlands in spring time in the Central Valley and attack numerous kinds of crops.

Here on the coast we have less pest pressure. At the farm we have field margins and islands within the farm planted to flowers and natives mostly known to support the kinds of predators and parasites of farm pests. We grow grains over winter to attract and hold the early waves of migrating ladybugs who as adults are attracted to the pollen and soon enough find aphids or other insect colonies into which the both feed and lay eggs.

Fedco Seeds sells a seed package called "beneficial insect mix" (this kind of mix is probably available other places as well. I planted it in my garden one year, but it sounds like it would be more, um, beneficial to establish these plants along a fence line and hope for them to reseed year after year.

I have a farm field across the fence from me. I try to keep a border of tall grass, wild grape vines, and bushes to help protect against herbicides and hard winds. Oh, the luxury of a flower border instead!

As well as 'wild' field margins, Beetle Banks are widely used here by both organic and conventional farmers. Again, not a new idea, as marshallz10 said.

Here is a link that might be useful: Beetle Banks

Clearly not a new idea.

So by 'semi-natural edge' they mean the wildflower strips?

Sometimes crop plants cultivated in adjacent fields are included. Wild flowers are not necessarily best, the selection should be on the kinds of inflorescences to attract beneficial insects (Umbelliferae expecially)

Wayne -- my fence border is actually a mass of wild raspberry brambles, milk weed, tangled vines, etc. Other side is a hay field, though -- no pesticides. Establishing a neat little flower border would be quite out of character for me, I realized.

But where my round bales of hay have sat is usually a really nice circle of a lasagne bed (once the bale is used up.) These are in random places in the yard, near the garden. So I might try beneficial mix circles.

Beneficial mix islands on lasagne circles!

elisa, Nice to hear. I have heard that these borders can be a winter hiding place for some nasty bugs and creatures so we do need an appealing habitat for the good guys. I find that fruit tree blossoms, mustard blooms, clover, and islands of different flowers provide a draw for the good guys. A favorite for me is to see a humming bird at a gladoulus