Enhancing Biocontrol Agents and Handling Risks

This publication* is the proceedings of a NATO Advanced Research Workshop held on 9-15 June 2001 in Florence (Italy). Initially it annoyed me immensely. I declare a slight prejudice in reviewing this book, based on the preface. The first sentence makes no sense, raising doubts about the care taken with the editing, and throughout the book there are annoying, but unimportant, formatting errors.

Then later in the preface came a paragraph that was preposterously arrogant and untrue. "A large proportion (but not all) of the major groups intent on enhancing biocontrol agents attended the workshop and contributed to this volume." What nonsense! There is only one representative from sub-Saharan Africa, so what of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture in the Republic of Benin, CAB International Africa Regional Centre and the International Centre of Insect Pathology and Ecology (both from Kenya), Kawanda Agricultural Research Institute in Uganda etc., etc. South America and Asia are not represented at all. Even from the UK at least three significant groups were not present.

And then: "Some could not attend, leading to a few gaps in subject matter." Indeed, for example the use of insects - not unknown as control agents, viruses for insect control perhaps, something more than a passing mention of mass production. Some may consider agricultural management relevant, the ecology of insects, their pathogens and the environment has recently been shown to be critical and quality control of biological pesticides is pivotal etc., etc. A few gaps in subject matter!

The volume reads (largely but not exclusively) as one for the academic rather than the practitioner and there is a strong emphasis on genetic engineering and on pathogens. With a more accurate title and less pomposity in the preface, the book would have been easier to evaluate dispassionately. Within the limits of speculative and innovative research on enhancing pathogens as biocontrol agents with an emphasis on genetic engineering and handling risks, it is a good book with many interesting chapters. However, despite the comments above about the limitations of coverage, there is still much to cover and it is difficult to see who the audience would be. A specialist is unlikely to learn much new and the generalist is faced with very specific examples (often used as generalizations). The chapters vary in depth and the very diverse topics means that the book lacks continuity, although this is probably inevitable when dealing with innovation.

There are 24 chapters, in four sections, plus six one-page abstracts. The first section, on Needs for Enhanced Biological Agents and Strategies for Enhancement, contains three papers with an eclectic mix of biocontrol agents against weeds, a genetically modified virus for fertility control in rabbits and the use of microbial toxins.

Technologies of Enhancing Biocontrol Agents contains eight chapters that the session organisers divide into five groups with brief descriptions (these session summaries are probably the best way of getting the essence of the book). Aspects of production and delivery of pathogens are briefly covered. Here again titles can be misleading. What does "Enhancing Biological Control Through Superior Formulations: A Worthy Goal But Still Work in Progress" mean? As it turns out, it is a very interesting and informative chapter on a very specific matter, improved shelf life of Metarhizium anisopliae blastospores. Why couldn't it say that? But the section also contains fascinating chapters on natural phytotoxins for weed management, using genes from biocontrol agents (neither, incidentally, biocontrol agents as per the book title) enhancing bioherbicides by, for example, manipulation of the culturing media, and enhancing antagonists of postharvest diseases.

The remainder of the book consists of five chapters in Risks from Enhanced Bio-control Agents and their Mitigation, eight in Genetics and Molecular Biology of Enhancing Biocontrol Agents, and six one page abstracts. These are outside my area of expertise, but a couple could be valuable reference chapters. "Introducing Transgenic Biocontrol Agents into the Environment: Legal, Ethical and Political Problems" is very readable and informative and the title describes the content.

One very good aspect of the book is the attention paid to references, which are usually very comprehensive. But overall, this is a book that could be occasionally dipped into: one to borrow and not to buy.

*Vurro, M.; Gressel, J.; Butt, T.; Harman, G.E.; Nuss, D.L.; Sands, D.; St. Leger, R. (2000) Enhancing biocontrol agents and handling risks. Amsterdam, The Netherlands; IOS Press. NATO Science Series: Life and Behavioural Sciences, Vol. 339, 200 pp. Hbk. ISBN 1 58603 216 X. Price US$90/i95/UK£60.

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IOBC Water Hyacinth Meeting in Beijing

The proceedings of the 2nd Meeting of the Global Working Group for the Biological and Integrated Control of Water Hyacinth have now been published*. Held in Beijing, China under the auspices of the International Organization for Biological and Integrated Control of Noxious Animals and Plants (IOBC) in October 2000 [see BNI 22(1), 16N-17N; March 2001], the meeting brought together 31 delegates from 11 countries. It was organized by the Institute of Biological Control, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), and supported by the National Natural Scientific Foundation of China, CAAS.

The proceedings contain 22 papers, including three keynote presentations which review arthropod biological control of water hyacinth (M. H. Julien); opportunities, challenges and developments in its control by pathogens and mycoherbicides (R. Charudattan); and the current status of research on the weed in China (Ding Jianqing, Wang Ren, Fu Weiding & Zhang Guoliang).

Other papers give a broad coverage of key issues and challenges in water hyacinth management, and include news of progress made and obstacles still to be overcome from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya, Egypt and China; assessments of research programmes on mycopesticides; weed and natural enemy ecology; safety and host specificity and efficacy testing of natural enemies; potential new agents - needs and new exploration; and knowledge dissemination initiatives.

The volume includes session summaries, recommendations for future research and the mission statement developed by the Global Working Group at this meeting.

*Julien, M.H.; Hill, M.P.; Center, T.D. (eds) (2001) Biological and integrated control of water hyacinth, Eichhornia crassipes. Proceedings of the Second Meeting of the Global Working Group for the Biological and Integrated Control of Water Hyacinth, Beijing, China 9-12 October 2000. Canberra, Australia; Australian Centre for International Research, ACIAR Proceedings No. 102, 152 pp. ISBN 1 86320 319 2 (print) / 1 863 20 320 6 (electronic)

Printed copies from: ACIAR, GPO Box 1571, Canberra, ACT 2610, Australia

Electronic version downloadable from:
www.aciar.gov.au/publications/proceedings/102/index.html

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