Cristina Castañé is a research scientist at the Institute for Food and Agricultural Research and Technology (IRTA) located in Cabrils (Barcelona) Spain (http://www.irta.es). She is an entomologist and has been working on biological control of pests attacking vegetable crops, with special interest in the study of generalist predators as biological control agents. Her research includes studies on predator-prey population dynamics, development of methods for predator mass rearing including the study of artificial and alternative substitution prey, studies on predator reproduction for improving their management in crops, and prey detection by molecular markers with the aim of identifying predator impact in the agro-ecosystem. Since 2000 has also been working in stored-product pests with alternative methods to fumigants, including biological control.
She joined the IOBC WG “Integrated Control in Protected Crops, Mediterranean Climate” in 1989, became Convenor of the WG in 2003 and was reelected in 2009. She is also involved in other in IOBC/WPRS Working Groups such as “Integrated Control in Protected Crops, Temperate Climate” and “Integrated Protection of Stored Products’’.
