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Do beetles indicate more predators and fewer pests in Lao PDR organic farms?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 February 2025

Bounsanong Chouangthavy Open the ORCID record for Bounsanong Chouangthavy [Opens in a new window]  and
Yoan Fourcade Open the ORCID record for Yoan Fourcade [Opens in a new window]
Bounsanong Chouangthavy*
Affiliation:
Entomology Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, National University of Laos, Vientiane, Laos Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan
Yoan Fourcade
Affiliation:
Univ. Paris Est Creteil, Sorbonne Université, Univ. Paris Cité, CNRS, IRD, INRAE, Institut d’écologie et des sciences de l’environnement, IEES, Créteil, France
*
Corresponding author: Bounsanong Chouangthavy; Email: bsnchouangthavy@gmail.com
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Summary

Agricultural intensification has led to significant species losses and has been associated with a decline in ecosystem services provided by insects. In Asia, particularly in Lao PDR (Southeast Asia), biodiversity-friendly agricultural practices such as the production of organic crops have been promoted to address these challenges, although intensification has continued. In this study, we examined beetle community composition in three organic farms (using, for example, manure and compost and not employing synthetic fertilizers and pesticides) and three conventional farms (using, for example, synthetic fertilizers and insecticides) in Vientiane (Lao PDR). Our results indicate that total beetle abundance was similar between farm types, while species richness was greater, predators were over 18 times more abundant and insect pests were 9 times less abundant in organic compared to conventional farms. These findings can inform government organic farming policy in Lao PDR and the promotion of sustainable agriculture in Southeast Asia generally.

Keywords

Agricultural landscapebeetle communityfunctional feeding guildsorganic and conventional farming
Type
Report
Information
Environmental Conservation , First View , pp. 1 - 5
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Foundation for Environmental Conservation

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