Protected crops, IPM, biological control, natural enemies, mass production,
quality control methods
Feltiella acarisuga preying upon a spider mite.
Photo: M. Skovly Svendsen
Owing to the different climatic and methodological conditions in the
North and the South, the "Integrated Control in Glasshouses"
group, one of the oldest in the IOBC's history, has been divided into
two working groups, based on temperate and mediterranean climates respectively.
The group comprises approximately 80 active scientists.
The general goal is to promote the research, development, implementation, and training of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) systems in protected crops, as well as promoting cooperation between scientists, advisors and producers working in this field.
The group designs commercially applicable IPM programmes based on biological
control of pests and diseases in combination with host-plant resistance
and other non-chemical control methods. It initiates, coordinates, and
evaluates fundamental and applied research for the development of biological
and integrated control programmes. It develops scientific criteria for
the selection of natural enemies, assists in the development of mass production
methods for natural enemies, and devises quality control methods for natural
enemies.
The group has realised large-scale practical use of biological control through intensive advisory and public relations work. Commercial producers of biological control agents have cooperated with the working group since its initiation. 50 species of natural enemies are commercially available for control of 25 pest species. The greenhouse area on which biological control is used has increased to 50% of the current potential area for biological control. Around 20 new species of natural enemies are in the process of being evaluated for future use.
For updates on WG activities: http://www.agrsci.dk/plb/iobc/iobc_home.htm
The results of the working group's activities are published in IOBC publications:
IOBC/WPRS Bulletin Vol. 19 (1) 1996, 206 pp.
IOBC/WPRS Bulletin Vol. 22 (1) 1999, 294 pp., table
of contents (PDF, 14 KB)
IOBC/WPRS Bulletin Vol. 25 (1) 2002, 308 pp., table
of contents and abstracts (PDF, 78 KB)
IOBC/WPRS Bulletin Vol. 27 (8) 2004, 429 pp., table of contents (PDF, 123 KB)
IOBC/WPRS Bulletin Vol. 28 (1) 2005, 328 pp., table of contents (PDF, 79 KB)
IOBC/WPRS Bulletin Vol. 32, 2008, 279 pp., table of contents (PDF, 112 KB)
In addition, the working group issues the Newsletter STING, please see http://web.agrsci.dk/plb/iobc/iobc_home.htm#Publications.
