Biodiversity in Ecuador and Its Immense Potential for Agricultural Pest Control

Abstract

Biological control in Ecuador was studied and applied before 1937; unfortunately extensive and detailed reports are non-existent or not easily found. These valuable details are not commonly known in our country. We have examined published information about biological control of agricultural pests in universities and research centres to find contributions that could be applied directly or to serve as models for other cases. This chapter offers a deep compilation of the biodiversity identified as natural enemies of agricultural pests from the first reports found until the last few years in Ecuador. Researchers of Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Agropecuarias (INIAP) together with undergraduate to postgraduate students and academics from several higher agrarian education branches have scanned information from cropped and non-cropped areas to find natural enemies of agricultural pests. Great findings are available, but usually in local publications. This is the opportunity to highlight these discoveries and offer the technology for enterprises, entrepreneurs and progressive farmers who will dare to generate and use natural enemies for pest control in a healthier and environmentally low-impact agriculture.