Announcements 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. Aphid and Coccid BiocontrolAn IOBC (International Organization for Biological Control of Noxious Animals and Plants) International Symposium on Biological Control of Aphids and Coccids is being held at Tsuruoka, Japan on 25-29 September 2005. The symposium is organized by Yamagata University with support from the Japanese Society of Applied Entomology and Zoology, the Entomological Society of Japan, the Japanese Ecological Society and the Society of Population Ecology. Aphids and coccids are major agricultural pests worldwide, and have similar groups of natural enemies. Biocontrol programmes have had variable success, with those directed against coccids having more success. The ecological and evolutionary basis to this variability is poorly understood. The aim of the symposium is to explore differences and similarities in the ecology of aphidophagous and coccidophagous insects and their interactions with their hosts. Sessions will be held on the following themes:
Contact: Dr Hinori Yasuda, Professor of Animal Ecology, Department of
Agriculture, Yamagata University, 1-23, Tsuruoka, Yamagata, 997-8555,
Japan. Lantana MonographLate last year, ACIAR published a monograph on current and future management of lantana (Lantana camara). It provides both an up-to-date summary of the current situation and also suggestions for future avenues for research, particularly for developing countries that may be able to utilize the efforts of Australian and other workers. The lantana story is a fascinating one, beginning when this American plant was brought to Europe and cultivated as a glasshouse ornamental. Some 650 varieties are now recognized worldwide. Many of the varieties were sent to colonial tropical and subtropical countries, which ultimately contributed to lantana becoming one of the world's major weeds. Interestingly, the book points out that there are 27 countries with favourable climates that do not yet have lantana and that an obvious strategy for these countries is to make very sure that it is not imported. Lantana was the earliest target for a fully-fledged biocontrol programme, which began with Hawaiian efforts in Mexico in 1902. Since then some 40 agents have been tried somewhere around the globe. These agents are described; often with very good photographs. This book is intended as a tool for everyone involved in lantana control as well as weed biocontrol scientists in general. Since 1902, millions of dollars and many years of work have gone into searching for potential biocontrol agents and introducing them to the countries where lantana is a weed. This book brings together the available information about lantana and the insects and diseases that have been studied to control it. The authors discuss possible factors influencing the success or failure of these agents, potential new research areas and make recommendations for future research directions Day, M.D., Wiley, C.J., Playford, J. & Zalucki, M.P. (2003)
Lantana: current management status and future prospects. Canberra
Australia, ACIAR, Contact: Publications, ACIAR, GPO Box
1571, Also downloadable as three pdfs at: Renewable Agriculture and Food SystemsThe first issue of Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems from CABI Publishing was published in February 2004. The journal, formerly the American Journal of Alternative Agriculture, aims to reflect the transition to an agriculture that utilizes food production and distribution systems relying less on non-renewable petrochemical resources, and more on renewable sources. John W. Doran, Editor-in-Chief, explains that the changes in the journal are intended to advance the goal of creating a common ground where scientist, educators, policymakers, farmers, and other practitioners of various perspectives and view points can share their research and ideas. Have Your SayThe new journal also has a forum section that will present lively discussions, from differing viewpoints, on new or provocative topics. The first forum, in the March issue of Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems, concentrated on the subject of `Local food, local security.' Submit a paper to: Renewable Agriculture
and Food Systems, c/o Emma Durman, CABI Publishing, Contact the Editor-in-Chief: John W.
Doran, USDA-ARS, 116 Keim Hall, University of Nebraska, Lincoln,
Nebraska, NE 68583-0934, USA. ANBP Welcomes PractitionersA new `practitioner' category of membership for the Association of Natural Biocontrol Producers (ANBP) is aimed to attract people and/or businesses engaged in the application of macrobial biocontrol organisms (i.e. insect or mite parasites, predators and/or entomopathogenic nematodes), consulting, research, education and pest management. The ANBP's mission is to address key issues of the augmentative biological control industry (which utilizes beneficial insects, mites and nematodes to manage agricultural, horticultural and plant pests) through advocacy, education and quality assurance. It holds annual meetings, publishes a newsletter, Biocontrol Matters, which provides a forum to address issues facing the biocontrol industry, and hosts a website providing information on the availability and use of natural enemies. The association believes the new category of members will strengthen ANBP by increasing membership and adding a new perspective tuned to the end-user. The annual fee for practitioner membership is US$125. Contact: Association of Natural Bio-control Producers, Whitefly and Bollworm BibliographiesA complete listing of the world literature of the sweetpotato/silverleaf
whitefly (Bemisia tabaci/argentifolii)
and the pink bollworm (Pectinophora gossypiella)
is maintained at: These bibliographies include journal articles, proceedings, books, book chapters, local, regional and national reports, and popular press articles. Both bibliographies are updated annually in February. The 2004 editions are now available for download and on-line searching. Contact: Steven Naranjo, USDA-ARS, Danish Biocontrol CentreThe establishment of a Danish Centre for Biological Control (DCBC) is aimed at strengthening biocontrol of pests, diseases and other noxious organisms in agriculture and animal husbandry in Denmark. The initiative is a joint venture between the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, the Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences, the Danish Pest Infestation laboratory, the National Environmental Research Institute and the National Institute of Occupational Health, with financial support provided by the Danish Research Councils. Activities will focus on workshops for the development and practical use of biocontrol, and environmental and work-related risks. The centre aims to enhance Danish participation in international cooperation. Source: IWSN Newsletter No. 18 (January 2004) Biobest Side Effects Manual UpdatedBiobest have produced an updated version of their manual on the side effects of crop protection products on bumblebees and natural enemies. This fourth edition includes revisions to make it more user-friendly (excluding less relevant/redundant information, species entries separated/grouped according to side effects, etc.), adds new information for products listed in previous editions and entries for new products. It provides the most comprehensive and accurate overview of the direct side effects of crop protection products on bumblebees and natural enemies used by the horticultural industry. Results were verified in trials under field conditions. The publication has used in-house research, outputs of the IOBC Working Group 'Side Effects of Pesticides on Beneficial Organisms', information drawn from published literature and pharmaceutical industry trials, and material submitted by researchers throughout the world. An online version can be viewed free at: For the printed version (cost: i6 + P&P) contact: ❑ |
