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IOBC Workshop on Biological Control: Concepts and Opportunities

A very successful IOBC workshop was held in Engelberg, Switzerland, from 11-15 October 2015. The workshop brought together 19 participants from around the world to represent different aspects of biological control.

IOBC Workshop on Biological Control: Concepts and Opportunities. A very successful IOBC workshop was held in Engelberg, Switzerland, from 11-15 October 2015. The workshop brought together 19 participants from around the world to represent different aspects of biological control.

Pictured from left to right [bottom row]: Matthew Thomas; Kris Wyckhuys, Alberto Urbaneja, Jianqing Ding, Barbara Barratt, Franz Bigler; [row 2]: Joop van Lenteren, Jacques Brodeur, Roy van Driesche, George Heimpel, Cliff Moran, Richard Stouthamer; [top row]: Karel Bolckmans, Urs Schaffner, Peter McEvoy, Ulrich Kuhlmann, Jürgen Köhl; [not pictured]: Russell Messing, Matthew Cock


The context of the workshop was to address a number of scientific, economic, social and cultural impediments to wider implementation of biological control worldwide. In particular we wanted to

  • discuss the current issues, constraints and needs for modern biological control worldwide;
  • identify tangible options for streamlining and facilitating biological control, for consideration by national and international entities, as well as researchers and practitioners involved in pest management;
  • promote the practice of biological control through the publication of original documents that provide credible, well-documented ways to understand scientific and societal issues that link biological control to human well-being and sustainable pest management;
  • identify scientific research advances that may help to increase biological control success rates, economic returns, and adoption.

Participants were invited to give one or more presentations at the workshop, but the main purpose was for discussion. We wanted to draw together ideas from the participants on how we can address the main issues, and develop an action plan for the future. We are still working on drawing the outcomes from the workshop together, and agreement has been reached for a special issue of BioControl, which will involve all participants and document all aspects of the workshop.

Papers relating to the presentations of Cock et al.


The impacts of some classical biological control successes, Cock M. et al., CAB Reviews 2015 10, No. 042The impacts of some classical biological control successes,
Cock M. et al.,
CAB Reviews 2015 10, No. 042
(pdf)

 

Trends in the classical biological control of insect pests by insects: an update of the BIOCAT database, 
Cock M. et al., BioControl DOI 10.1007/s10526-016-9726-3 Trends in the classical biological control of insect pests by insects: an update of the BIOCAT database,
Cock M. et al.,
BioControl
DOI 10.1007/s10526-016-9726-3


 

Further to this, at the International congress of Entomology to be held in Orlando, Florida, USA, in September 2016 a symposium focussed on the outcome from the workshop will be held. This will allow further discussion with the biological control community.


The workshop was generously supported by the International Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS) and Koppert Biological Systems.

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