Articles
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENTATIONS ON BIOLOGICAL CONTROL
A lot of studies dealing with entomological subjects focused on three main themes.
- Biology of parasitoids life tables
Detailed knowledge on the biology of parasitoids of animal pests are necessary to evaluate the potential effectiveness of species as antagonists.
- Long term ecological studies
Long term studies play an important role in two different ways.
Investigations on faunistic effects of different treatment or management strategies point out ecological aspects.
Even the effectiveness of parasitoids or predators in different situations can be evaluated in studies, carried out over some years and in different situations.
This data will supply the creation of life tables of species. - Modelling
Modern technologies give the opportunities to bring together all available data on biology of (animal) pests and antagonists.
This way the development of populations of pests and/or beneficials and their interactions can be predicted by computer modelling including actual data from climatic situation, life tables and so on.
This development is still at the beginning.
The use of antagonists is not a privileg of entomology.
Even in control of fungal diseases of fruits there are chances to work with antagonists like bacteria or funghi.
The use of Bacillus thuringiensis is well established and offers a lot of effective applications.
Confusion technique (especially against tortricides) can work very well and is applied in many regions.
The use of a confusion technique against a mirid bug (Campyloma verbasci) is a new aspect in pheromone technology.
The extraordinary importance of predatory mites as regulatives of spider mites is well known and was pointed out in the presentations.