Classical and augmentative biological control against ... - IOBC-WPRS

Preface
One of the Research Activities (RA 4.3) of the European Network for Durable Exploitation of crop
protection strategies (ENDURE * ) has brought together representatives of industry and scientists
from several European countries with experience ranging from fundamental biology to applied field
work on biological control against pests and diseases. The unique diversity of expertise and
concerns allowed the group to set up very complementary approaches to tackle the issue of the
factors of success of biocontrol.
The initial part of the work accomplished by this group consisted in a thorough review of
scientific literature published on all types of biological control. Although it had to be focused on
selected key European crops and their major pests and pathogens, this review is unique in the scope
of the topics it covered and in the comprehensive inventories it allowed to gather on the potential of
biocontrol and factors of success at field level.
In parallel with identifying knowledge gaps and key factors from published research,
information was gathered on aspects linked to the production and commercialization of biocontrol
agents.
These results, complemented by the views of experts in the field of biocontrol consulted at the
occasion of meetings of IOBC-wprs, allowed the identification of majors gaps in knowledge and
bottlenecks for the successful deployment of biocontrol and lead to the proposition of key issues for
future work by the research community, the field of development and prospects for technological
improvement by industry.
Avignon, June 2011
Philippe C. Nicot
*
EU FR6 project 031499, funded in part by the European Commission
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