Parasitoids diversity in organic Sweet Pepper (Capsicum annuum) associated with Basil (Ocimum basilicum) and Marigold (Tagetes erecta )

Abstract The sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is one of the most important crops in Brazilian farming. Many insect are related to this crop, compromising the quantity and quality of the fruit, representing a production problem. Vegetable diversification is one of the main elements that can be managed for suppressing undesirable insect populations in organic production, once that supports the presence of natural enemies. The basil Ocimum basilicum L. and the marigold Tagetes erecta L. are attractive and nutritious plants for parasitoids, being important candidates for diversified crops. This study evaluated the parasitoids attracted by the association of basil and marigold to organic sweet pepper crop. The experiment comprised three treatments: a) sweet pepper monoculture; b) sweet pepper and basil intercropping; c) sweet pepper and marigold intercropping. Hymenopteran parasitoids were collected over 14 weeks. 268 individuals from 12 families and 41 taxa were collected. Sweet pepper monoculture, sweet pepper-basil intercropping, and sweet pepper-marigold intercropping hosted 40, 98, and 130 individuals and richness of 24, 24, and 23, respectively. Furthermore, the insects of greater abundance in the basil and marigold were different to those collected in the monoculture. The number of parasitoids increased in the associations of sweet pepper with basil and marigold, providing advantages in the use of vegetable diversification for the organic pepper crops management.

摘要 甜椒（sweet pepper，*Capsicum annuum* L.）是巴西农业中最重要的作物之一。多种昆虫会对该作物造成危害，降低果实的产量与品质，成为生产层面的难题。在有机生产体系中，通过蔬菜多样化种植抑制有害昆虫种群是核心可行手段之一，因该模式可支撑天敌种群的存续。罗勒（*Ocimum basilicum* L.）与万寿菊（*Tagetes erecta* L.）对寄生蜂具有诱集活性且营养丰富，是多样化种植的优质候选作物。本研究评估了罗勒与万寿菊套种对有机甜椒田寄生蜂的诱集效果。试验设置3个处理组：a）甜椒单作；b）甜椒与罗勒间作；c）甜椒与万寿菊间作。研究连续14周采集膜翅目寄生蜂，共采集到12个科、41个分类单元的268头个体。其中，甜椒单作、甜椒-罗勒间作、甜椒-万寿菊间作的寄生蜂个体数分别为40头、98头、130头，类群丰富度分别为24、24、23。此外，罗勒与万寿菊上的优势昆虫类群与单作甜椒田采集到的类群存在差异。甜椒与罗勒、万寿菊套种的组合可提升寄生蜂种群数量，表明蔬菜多样化种植在有机甜椒生产管理中具备应用优势。