International Organisation for Biological Control (IOBC)
Organisation Internationale de Lutte Biologique (OILB)

"Have a passion and follow it through with conviction!"

This interview introduces the IOBC-Global President elected for the period 2025-2028, Raghu Sathyamurthy. It outlines his career, lets the audience know what opportunities he sees for IOBC, where he would like to focus during his term and much more. Last but not least, Raghu talks about what defines him as a private person, what his favourite hobby is and what he would like to pass on to the next generation of biocontrol scientists and practitioners.

Watch the Video!

The congress attracted 320 delegates of 40 countries to an excellent venue, where the science was of a high standard and the debate robust. There were six excellent plenary papers covering the entire value chain of biological control that really set the scene for the congress, where 162 papers and 52 posters were presented.

Congress Report

How did you become a biological control practitioner?

There is no straightforward answers to this questions as there are many roads to obtain a position in biological control.

Check out the shared career paths to become a biological control practitioner!

Share your own career path, a few sentences (and an optional picture) will suffice: secretary-general@iobc-global.org

Worldwide Education in Biological Control

IOBC Global often receives questions about education and training possibilities for biological control. Please provide information about YOUR education and training opportunities. We will publish it on the Global website. Send the information to secretary-general@iobc-global.org:

1. Name of course / training
2. Institute / organization providing this course
3. Course period and length of course in days
4. Costs of course
5. Entrance requirements

Financial Support for Biocontrol Training

IOBC-Global may financially support participation of young career biological control scientists (< 35 years) who are paying member of one of the Regional Sections of IOBC, so they can take part in a training course. Guidelines and conditions for funding: Information about proposals for IOBC support of a training course (pdf).

Non-native English speakers sometimes need help in preparing scientific articles for publication in English language journals.

Get Support

IOBC Global is establishing a pool of volunteers to help review and edit these articles, especially for young scientists. The editing is not focused on scientific content, but rather on language use and clarity. Please contact the Secretary General if you are willing to volunteer.

US Biostimulants Summit,
24th - 25th Sept. 2025,
Raleigh, North Carolina, USA.

ACI’s US Biostimulants Summit 2025 will be a hub of knowledge, innovation, and collaboration in the US biostimulants industry. It will bring together senior industry leaders, farmers, policymakers, and researchers to explore the growing world of biostimulants, aiming to redefine sustainable agricultural practices.

Conference Website

29th International Working Group of Ostrinia and Other Maize Pests (IWGO) Conference
28-31 October 2025
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) will co-host the IWGO event at their MARDI Auditorium on the MARDI campus in Putrajaya, away from the hustle of Kuala Lumpur city.

More information

Biostimulants Europe 2026
4th - 5th February 2026,
Valencia, Spain.

ACI’s Biostimulants Europe 2026 conference will bring together industry leaders, researchers, scientists, and professionals from the biostimulants sector. The conference serves as a platform for knowledge exchange, networking, and discussions on the latest advancements, challenges, and opportunities in the field of biostimulants.

Conference Website

XVII International Symposium on Biological Control of Weeds,
8-13 March 2026
Rotorua, Aotearoa New Zealand.

The International Symposium on Biological Control of Weeds (ISBCW) is the most important event for weed biocontrol scientists from all over the world.

Consider your participation!

16th Workshop of the IOBC-MRQA Working Group: Innovations in rearing high-quality invertebrates
Postponed from Oct. 27-31, 2025 to October 2026
Tucson, AZ, USA.

The workshop objective is to explore opportunities for advancing the rearing of high quality entomophagous and phytophagous insects and mites, entomopathogenic nematodes, and other invertebrates for plant and animal pest management, human and animal food, and a variety of other uses.

More information

Control Biológico en América Latina y el Caribe: Su rica historia y futuro brillante (Spanish version of Biological Control in Latin America and the Caribbean)

More Information

IOBC: History of the First 50 Years (1956-2006).
Edited by: Boller, E.F., J.C. van Lenteren and V. Delucchi, 287 pp.
The book is available as free PDF.

Download PDF

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