Perennial field margins for functional biodiversity in UK vegetable rotation schemes:Establishment and resource provision

Abstract: A five year project, introduced at the last IOBC Landscape Management for FunctionalBiodiversity meeting, is underway in the UK to build upon previous research to combine thebiodiversity and pest-control benefits of perennial field margins. Key to the success of thisproject is the selection of a seed mix that provides multiple benefits in terms of promotingfunctional agro-biodiversity. This paper provides details of how the selected seed mix hasperformed over successive seasons in the UK with regard to plant establishment, flowering timesand provision of aphids on flowering ‘banker plants’.