June 1998, Volume 19 No. 2

• Editorial
• General News
• Biorational
• Internet Round-Up
• New Books
• Conference Reports
• Proceedings
• Training News

News Books

Citrus IPM Based Upon Biological Control

This is a very impressive book*. Having co-produced a thematically similar, but much smaller and less ambitious booklet on African bollworm and its natural enemies, I can appreciate that this book is the product of many years of research experience and an enormous amount of co-ordinated effort. The book was edited from contributions by 25 authors who get a paragraph each in About the Authors- where the wide range of expertise which went into the book is apparent: biological control, development and application of IPM, ecology, natural enemy and pest taxonomy, production of natural enemies, quarantine, etc.

The book sets out to cover the pests of citrus in Australia, their natural enemies and control based upon IPM. Here, IPM is treated as a strategy which encourages the reduction of pesticide use by employing a variety of pest control options in harmonious combination- and further IPM aims to maximise the use of biological and cultural controls. Other measures must play a supportive rather than disruptive role.- (pp. 14 and 200). A laudable starting point!

Citrus production in Australia was worth Au$320 million in 1994 (p. 8), with substantial production in New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. In Appendix 3 we read that Australia has developed one of the most successful IPM programs for pest control in citrus in the world. Orchards in all major producing areas have adopted the program ? What proportion are applying IPM along the lines featured in this book? That is not so clear, although if the information presented for Queensland (80% of citrus trees, and a 75% reduction in insecticides and acaricides) is representative, then the impact of IPM is very substantial.

·Pests· in this book means predominantly insects and mites, although nematodes and other invertebrate groups are covered. Diseases and physical damage are briefly covered in the opening chapter on the Australian citrus industry, but the main focus, and over half the book, is dedicated to a systematic treatment of the main insect and mite pests of citrus in Australia. Each species account includes common and scientific names, a distribution map for Australia, a description (including general appearance, distinguishing features, life cycle, seasonal history, habits, hosts, origin and distribution), damage (including a symbol-coded highlighted area pinpointing the plant parts attacked, and coverage of the varieties attacked), natural enemies and management (including monitoring, action levels, appropriate action and additional management notes). Each species account is illustrated with colour photographs usually including the different life stages, damage and natural enemies, many with clear life cycle diagrams to accompany. The photos are the most striking feature of the book, which features over 400. Many are excellent, but a significant proportion do not come up to the same standard, being dark or lacking sharpness. The section on mites in particular was quite disappointing in this regard. Some photographs feature obviously dead insects (look at some of the beetles), but most are clearly of live insects, often doing things. The comprehensive treatment of scales and their natural enemies is especially impressive and it is a real pleasure to see good photographs of some of the natural enemies, especially parasitoids, which for many years have been only names to me. There are no indications of scale with the photographs, although this information is consistently provided nearby in the text. The layout is clear and it is easy to locate information on particular subjects.

The section on IPM which follows includes some detailed guidance on monitoring, including sample data sheets, and a condensed picture guide to which pests should be monitored when. Pesticides are not neglected, and a short section reviews application technology, and there is a table listing the impact of different chemicals on selected natural enemies. There is an interesting contribution on petroleum spray oils, a subject about which I knew little, but a control tactic often suggested as an alternative to chemical insecticides. As the writer points out, they are IPM-compatible and have significant practical, medical and environmental advantages. Here is a system where they are regularly used to good effect.

The book concludes with appendices listing important insect pests which do not occur in Australia and present quarantine risks, and illustrated keys for the identification of common wasp parasitoids of scales and mealybug. There is a substantial bibliography (references are not cited in the text), and an index which covers scientific and common names, but is not completely comprehensive - when I did a spot check for cassowary (yes they damage fruit in areas of Queensland within tropical forest) I found the right page only by looking under birds. The book has been carefully edited and I saw very few typos.

The book is obviously aimed primarily at the citrus industry in Australia, but many of the pests are widely distributed outside Australia and the book sets out how to tackle their IPM and so will be useful, perhaps even inspirational, to citrus growers elsewhere. I wonder if a hard-back version wouldn·t have been worth producing - if growers use this book as much as they should, the softback format (albeit stitched) may not last so well. This book provides a basis for implementing IPM based upon biological control and I think biological control practitioners and scientists will find a lot of interest here - I certainly did. Many of the pictures are first rate, and the book worth checking for these alone.

*Smith, D.; Beattie, G.A.C.; Broadley, R. (1997) Citrus pests and their natural enemies. Integrated pest management in Australia. Queensland, Australia; Department of Primary Industries, xvi + 272 pp.Price Au$75.00.

Obtainable from: DPI Publications, Department of Primary Industries, GPO Box 46, Brisbane, Qld. 4001, Australia

E-mail: books@dpi.qld.gov.au
Fax: + 61 7 3239 6509

New Titles from Central America

Weed Management

At times there are no existing textbooks for teaching, or those that do exist are inappropriate owing to language barriers or the region covered. A new book* from Zamorano Academic Press overcomes these deficiencies. This book was designed for use as a textbook in introductory classes on weed management. The authors have used, in the majority of cases, examples of situations, production practices and weed species that are known in Central America.

The 13 chapters of the book are authored by nine experts in Central American weed biology, ecology and management. Four chapters in the section -Biologia y Ecologia· deal with the importance, characteristics and reproduction of weeds, competition, allelopathy, parasitism and the utility of biological studies in weed management. This serves as a basis for understanding weed behaviour and the factors that make weeds so successful and persevering in agroecosystems. Two chapters in the -Manejo de Malezas· section discuss the strategies and tactics of weed management and the implications of tillage systems. A third section on -Manejo de Herbicidas· reviews the aspects of herbicide use, including application, formulation, equipment, selectivity, mode of action and resistance. Two appendices provide lists of the common and commercial names of herbicides and the scientific and common names of some Latin American weeds.

*Pitty, A. (ed) (1997) Introduccion a la biologia, ecologia y manejo de malezas. Zamorano, Honduras; Zamorano Academic Press, 300 pp.ISBN 1 885995 38 5. Price $35.00. [in Spanish]

Vegetable IPM

Extensionists, farmers, students, teachers and researchers need well-illustrated manuals with concrete information useful to them. Many, though not all, books on IPM address the topic conceptually, without sufficient practical information for a given geographical region. The objective of this new book**, produced with the technical and financial support of GTZ (Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit), is to elaborate practical information for extensionists who work with farmers in vegetable production regions. In Central America, there are many private and public organizations that conduct research on vegetable pest management or perform technology transfer. Each one has its own extension methodology and applied techniques content. This book is a small, though significant, effort to unite some of these known techniques so that extensionists are encouraged (1) to learn of pest management techniques safe, or least dangerous, for humans and the environment, (2) to experiment with farmers in pest monitoring, (3) to apply appropriate measures for preventing pest problems and (4) to use pesticides rationally.

Conceptual topics addressed at the beginning of the book are what is IPM, the advantages of reduced use of pesticides, the role of experimentation/innovation and IPM compared to organic farming. Following the IPM principals there is a chapter on crop management, specifically preventive measures in IPM and management of seed beds. The next chapter deals with the identification, biology and control of specific insect pests and pathogens of 11 vegetable crops in six families (Brassicaceae, Solanaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Liliaceae, Compositae and Chenopodiaceae). Following this, there is chapter on the identification, biology and control of general pests (viruses, fungi, molluscs, nematodes, insects and weeds). Another chapter discusses the concept of biological control and describes the most important predators, parasitoids and pathogens of vegetable insect pests. The final chapter addresses the rational use and adequate management of pesticides.

The book·s technical content was authored by 15 regional specialists from private and public institutions in Honduras and El Salvador. It was reviewed before publication by extensionists and specialists for utility, language and presentation. The text is profusely illustrated with high-quality photographs and drawings. There is a glossary, list of references and extensive index.

**Scholaen, S. (ed) (1997) Manejo integrado de plagas en hortalizas: un manual para extensionistas. Tegucigalpa, Honduras; GTZ, mbH, 156 pp.Price $20.00. [in Spanish]

Photographic Weed Guide

Four years after the publication of Part I of a photographic guide for weed identification, Part II*** has been published. The 63 species covered in this new book complement the 61 species described and illustrated in the first part. These 124 species represent over 90% of the weed species found in Central American agroecosystems.

Like the first part, this publication was prepared as a teaching tool for agriculture students. Based on the experience of users of Part I, Part II will also be useful for farmers, agricultural products salesmen, extensionists, teachers and researchers. The authors have illustrated most species with photographs of the plant shortly after germination, as a mature flowering plant and the inflorescence, in order to facilitate field identification. Included is a glossary of terms used in the descriptions.

***Pitty, A.; Molina R.A. (1998) Guia fotografica para la identificacion de malezas, Parte II. Zamorano, Honduras; Zamorano Academic Press, 137 pp.ISBN 1 885995 38 5. Price $9.00. [in Spanish]

These three books are obtainable from: the Libreria Zamorano, Apartado Postal 93, Zamorano, Honduras

Fax: + 504776 6240