Experimental data on herbivorous pest insects, predatory insect occurrence and population growth rates of artificially established aphids from three crops

This dataset contains percentage cover of plants, mean numbers of aphids, mean counts of predators and mean counts of herbivores on three crops (field bean, wheat and oilseed rape) within different grassland types (improved, restored and species rich). Data were collected in 2013 on five farms in the Salisbury Plain area of the UK as part of the Wessex Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Sustainability (BESS) project within the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) BESS programme. This data set was used to provide an assessment of the potential for different grassland types to provide natural pest control ecosystem services. The study uses sentinel plants of the three crops established in the grasslands to monitor herbivorous pest insects, predatory insect occurrence and the population growth rates of artificially established aphids.