Abstract
Aphids are worldwide pests, and in South America, they harm many crops including winter cereals. In the 1970s, the rapid expansion of the wheat crop area in the subtropical region of South America led to growth of aphid populations. The wide availability of food, associated with the low effectiveness of natural biological control, put the aphid populations out of balance, requiring intensive use of insecticides. At the end of the decade, biological control programs of aphids were initiated in Argentina, Brazil, and Chile, including the importation of natural enemies (mainly parasitoids), followed by their laboratory rearing and field release. With decreased use of highly hazardous pesticides, biological control by introduced and already-present parasitoid species was enhanced. The program was very successful and aphid populations have been kept at low levels. This review article explores the history of this program and its current status. In modern day agriculture, with intense multiple cropping systems, adoption of several conservation practices, and increased cultivation of wheat in tropical regions, we discuss ways to keep this program effective to maintain aphid populations on cereal crops at low acceptable levels through employing biological control agents.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
