Are you producing a newsletter, holding a meeting, running an organization or rearing a natural enemy that you want other biocontrol workers to know about? Send us the details and we will announce it in BNI.

Whitefly Symposium

The European Whitefly Studies Network (EWSN) announce that the 2nd European Whitefly Symposium will be held on 5-9 October 2004 at Cavtat in Croatia, hosted by the Institute of Adriatic Crops and Karst Reclamation, Split. Five keynote areas will be covered, giving ample coverage to biocontrol:

• Faunistics, systematics and ecology
• Whitefly transmitted viruses and epidemiology
• Whitefly natural enemies
• Chemical and physical controls
• IPM and biological control

The symposium also aims to address recent advances in European crop protection towards satisfying current legislation and effectively controlling problems.

Further information/pre-registration:
www.whitefly.org/EWSII-info.htm

Or contact the EWSN Events Organizer:
ewsn.organiser@whitefly.org

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IPPC Postponed

The Organizing Committee of the 15th International Plant Protection Congress (IPPC) , considering the health and the safety of all participants and in view of uncertainty of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in China at the time a decision had to be made, postponed the congress due to be held in Beijing on 6-11 July 2003.

To prevent the conflict with dates of other international congresses in plant protection to be held next year, the Organizing Committee checked the scientific calendar of 2004 and discussed an appropriate date with the International Association for the Plant Protection Sciences (IAPPS). The new dates for the Congress will be 11-16 May 2004, at the previously planned venue, the Beijing International Convention Center.

For more information see:

www.ipmchina.net/ippc/ippc-4.htm

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Biocontrol Books from CABI

Two new books from CABI Publishing may be of interest to many readers.

Biocontrol and IPM in Africa

This book* synthesizes information on the past successes and on-going challenges for biocontrol, both as a stand-alone approach and as a component of IPM in Africa. The 24 chapters cover largely arthropods (field crop, perennial, agroforestry and forestry pests) and weeds (terrestrial and aquatic species), but diseases (including nematodes) are also covered. The opening chapter gives an historical overview. This is followed by chapters focusing on key pest (cassava and mango mealybug, cassava green mite, mango fruit flies, banana weevil, potato tuber moth, diamondback moth, whiteflies, cereal stemborers, larger grain borer, cotton boll worm and termites) and weed (chromolaena and striga) species, interspersed with others taking a crop-based approach (conifers, commercial forestry, cowpea and coffee). Other chapters cover alien plant invaders, aquatic weeds, plant nematode management and endophytic diversity, microbial control of plant diseases and nontarget testing of the Green Muscle biopesticide. The book closes with a chapter on the role of biocontrol in development and environmental protection in Africa.

Quality Control and Production of Agents

Implementation of biocontrol has been increasing worldwide, and there are numerous companies now mass-producing natural enemies for this purpose, and species for other beneficial purposes such as pollination. This book** provides both background theory and practical guidance in key areas. The opening chapter discusses why quality control is needed. Practical topics covered in subsequent chapters are: mass production including rearing, storage and release of natural enemies; pathogens of mass produced natural enemies and pollinators; quality control of insect and microbial agents, including US and European experience of merging customer and producer needs; risk assessment in relation to regulations for imports and releases; and basic statistical methods. More theoretical topics include natural enemy foraging behaviour, and population ecology and genetics in relation to managing small artificially reared populations. There are also chapters concerning guidelines for quality control of commercially produced natural enemies, and their commercial availability.

*Neuenschwander, P.; Borgemeister, C.; Langewald, J. ( eds ) (2003) Biological control in IPM systems in Africa. Wallingford, UK; CABI Publishing , 448 pp. Hbk. UK£75.00/US$140.00. ISBN: 0 85199 639 6

**van Lenteren, J.C. ( ed ) (2003) Quality control and production of biological control agents. Wallingford, UK; CABI Publishing , 352 pp. Hbk. UK£65.00/US$120.00. ISBN: 085199 688 4

Available from: CABI Publishing ,
Wallingford, Oxon OX10 8DE, UK
Email: orders@cabi.org
Fax: +44 1491 829292
Web: www.cabi-publishing.org/bookshop

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