Matthew J.W. Cock

Invasive alien species: a toolkit of best prevention and management practices.

Invasive alien species: a toolkit of best prevention and management practices , Invasive alien species: a toolkit of best prevention and management practices , مرکز فناوری اطلاعات و اطلاع رسانی کشاورزی

Do new Access and Benefit Sharing procedures under the Convention on Biological Diversity threaten the future of biological control

Under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) countries have sovereign rights over their genetic resources. Agreements governing the access to these resources and the sharing of the benefits arising from their use need to be established between involved parties [i.e. Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS)]. This also applies to species collected for potential use in biological control. Recent applications of CBD principles have already made it difficult or impossible to collect and export natural enemies for biological control research in several countries. If such an approach is widely applied it would impede this very successful and environmentally safe pest management method based on the use of biological diversity. The CBD is required to agree a comprehensive Access and Benefit Sharing process in 2010, in preparation for which the IOBC (International Organization for Biological Control of Noxious Animals and Plants) Global Commission on Biological Control and Access and Benefit Sharing has prepared this position paper. Here, we first describe the practice of biological control in relation to the principles of ABS, illustrated extensively by case studies and successes obtained with biological control. Next, we emphasise the very limited monetary benefits generated in biological control when compared to other fields of ABS such as the collection of germplasm for development of human drugs, chemical pesticides or crop cultivars. Subsequently, we inform the biological control community of good ABS practice and challenges, and we hope to make clear to the community involved in ABS under the CBD the special situation with regard to biological control. Finally, based on the non-commercial academic research model, we make recommendations which would facilitate the practice of collection and exchange of biological control agents, propose a workable framework to assist policy makers and biological control practitioners, and urge biological control leaders in each country to get involved in the discussions with their national ABS contact point to take their needs into consideration.

The potential for biological control of invasive alien aquatic weeds in Europe: a review

A retrospective analysis shows that invasive, alien, free-floating and emergent aquatic weeds in Europe are good targets for classical biological control, and that genus-specific chrysomelid and curculionid beetles offer the most potential. Ludwigia spp., Azolla filiculoides, Lemna minuta, Crassula helmsii and Hydrocotyle ranunculoides should be prioritised as targets. Fungal pathogens have been under-utilised as classical agents but, whilst they may have some potential against free-floating weeds, they appear to be poor candidates against submerged species, although the suitability of arthropod agents against these difficult targets still merits investigation. The use of indigenous pathogens as inundative agents (mycoherbicides) shows some promise.

The history of, and prospects for, the biological control of Chromolaena odorata (Compositae) by Pareuchaetes pseudoinsulata Rego Barros and allies (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae)

Chromolaena odorata is a tropical American species of the Compositae that has become a serious problem in plantations in the tropics of Asia and Africa. The history of attempts to control it using the arctiid moth Pareuchaetes pseudoinsulata Rego Barros (misidentified in previous literature as Ammalo insulata (Wlk.)) is summarised. The taxonomy and distributions of the five species in Pareuchaetes are presented, together with keys based on genitalic characters, three new synonyms and one new combination. Information on the biogeography and ecology of the Pareuchaetes species is used to assess their potential as biological control agents.

Stage-specific mortality of Helicoverpa armigera in three smallholder crops in Kenya.

Partial life tables of Helicoverpa armigera were constructed for three crops, sunflower, maize and sorghum, commonly grown on smallholder farms in Kenya. Oviposition coincided with early flowering of the crops, and was due to the preference of ovipositing moths for flowering plants rather than to narrow periods of oviposition activity. Consequently, single cohorts of H. armigera developed on each crop. The partial life tables show that mortality during development was generally high (82-99.3%) on sunflower, maize and sorghum, but stage-specific mortality varied greatly from season to season. Mortality was highest on maize, particularly during the young stages. Mortality was generally higher in the short rainy seasons than in the long rainy seasons (...)

Potential biological control agents for Mikania micrantha HBK from the Neotropical Region.

Abstract Mikania micrantha HBK, a sprawling composite vine native to the Neotropics, is a serious weed of plantation crops in Southeast Asia. A survey and assessment of its natural enemies in the Neotropics reveals nine major natural enemies and over 20 minor ones. The biology of the nine major natural enemies: Acalitus sp. (Acarina, Eriophyiidae), Liothrips mikaniae (Priesner) (Thysanoptera, Phloeothripidae), Teleonemia sp. (Heteroptera, Tingidae), Desmogramma conjuncta Bechyne, Physimerus pygmaeus Jacoby, Omoplata spp. (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae), Apion luteirostre Gerst. (Col., Apionidae), Pseudoderelomus baridiiformis Champ. (Col., Curculionidae), together with brief accounts of the minor ones, forms the bulk of this paper. The prospects for biological control of M. micrantha are considered reasonable, and an outline for a continuation of work on the project is given, beginning with the introduction of L. mikaniae to Southeast Asia.

The positive contribution of invertebrates to sustainable agriculture and food security

This study focuses on three main groups of organisms: soil invertebrates, biological control agents (BCAs) and pollinators. These groups play key roles in agricultural systems, and have the potential to be used, moved or manipulated for the benefit of agriculture. Soil invertebrates are a key component of agricultural landscapes. They participate in essential soil processes that maintain healthy productive soils in the face of changing environmental conditions. Reducing the diversity of a community of soil invertebrates reduces its beneficial functions and services, with drastic ecological effects such as long-term deterioration of soil fertility and agricultural productive capacity. The introduction of a keystone species may have detrimental or beneficial effects depending on the context. The interaction between soil invertebrates and soil microorganisms is critical: the activities of soil invertebrates regulate microbial activity in soils, and micro-organisms enter into intimate relationships with soil invertebrates to help them degrade highly complex compounds such as cellulose. Different groups of invertebrates provide biological control of crop pests. In many situations, they form the basis of, and tools for, the integrated pest management (IPM) approach. Given that the losses caused by pre- and post-harvest pests can be very substantial, the potential benefits of using invertebrates as BCAs are vast, but as yet only partially tapped. The potential for soil invertebrates to assist in this function is still largely unknown. Pollination services by animals, especially by insects, are among the most widespread and important processes that structure ecological communities in both natural and agricultural landscapes. An estimated 60–90% of the world’s flowering plants – including a range of economically important species – depend on insects for pollination. Crop pollination used to be (and often still is) provided by wild pollinators spilling over from natural and semi-natural habitats close to crop fields. This service has generally been free and therefore has received little attention in agricultural management. If wild pollinators are lacking or additional pollination is required, as is the case in many intensive agricultural production systems, farmers in some developed countries can buy or rent managed honeybees or sometimes other species (e.g. bumblebees, alfalfa leafcutter bees and alkali bees). Both options – i.e. use of wild species and managed bees – have recently come under pressure, a development that is sometimes referred to as the ‘pollination crisis’. Of the interactions and overlaps between these key groups, that between soil invertebrates and BCAs is the most important, and further research is needed to evaluate the scope and impact of manipulation of the soil ecosystem to conserve or encourage beneficial BCAs.

Natural Control of Helicoverpa armigera in Cotton: Assessment of the Role of Predation

Irreplaceable mortality of Helicoverpa armigera due to natural enemies was studied in cotton in western Kenya. Field populations of H. armigera were followed in three types of subplots: where crawling predators were suppressed, where both crawling and flying predators were suppressed and where predators were unaffected. Ants were the predominant crawling predators, whereas anthocorids were the predominant flying predators. H. armigera mortality from egg to late larval stage was very high (96.4-99.7%) and was greater in the second than in the first generation. Suppression of the different groups of predators did not increase the density of the pest. It is argued that the high level of background mortality obscured the role of predators. The possible role of host-plant condition on background mortality is discussed.

Biological control of Helicoverpa armigera in Africa.

Andy Cherry,1 Matthew Cock,2 Henk van den Berg3 and Rami Kfir4 1International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Cotonou, Bénin; 2CABI Bioscience Switzerland, Delémont, Switzerland; 3Laboratory of Entomology, Department of Plant Sciences, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands; 4Agricultural Research Council – Plant Protection Research Institute, Division of Insect Ecology – Biological Control, Pretoria, South Africa

Classical biological control of insect pests of trees : facts and figures

Classical biological control (CBC) is the introduction of a natural enemy of exotic origin to control a pest, usually also exotic, aiming at permanent control of the pest. CBC has been carried out widely over a variety of target organisms, but most commonly against insects, using parasitoids and predators and, occasionally, pathogens. Until 2010, 6158 introductions of parasitoids and predators were made against 588 insect pests, leading to the control of 172 pests. About 55% of these introductions were made against pests of woody plants. Establishment rates of natural enemies and success rates were higher in CBC projects targeting pests of woody plants than other pests. This review aims to answer the questions most commonly asked regarding CBC against insect pests, with particular emphasis on tree pests. The topics covered include, among others: variations in rates of successes among different systems, different target insect groups and different agents; temporal trends in CBC practices and successes; economic and environmental benefits; risks and ways to mitigate the risks; CBC against native pests; accidental successes through the adoption of the invasive pests by native natural enemies or accidentally introduced agents; and prospects and constraints for the practice of CBC in the future. Questions are answered based on the analysis of two databases, the BIOCAT2010 database of introductions of insect biological control agents for the CBC of insect pests, and a database of introductions of entomopathogens against insect pests.