Conservation Biological Control Research Articles

Soil arthropod diversity, richness, and abundance in agroecological and conventional cotton production systems in Chaco, Argentina

In Argentina, agroecology has grown in last years as a scientific paradigm that seeks to design and evaluate agroecosystems considering sustainability, complexity, and uncertainty. Diversity is a key factor in the design and management of production systems and a necessary component for conservation biological control and the reduction of agrochemicals use. Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) crop in northern Argentina is usually managed with high load of agrochemicals: agroecological production arises as an alternative. This study evaluated the diversity, richness, and abundance of soil arthropods using pitfall traps in two experimental cotton plots under conventional (CONV) and agroecological management (AE) in Chaco, Argentina. AE system presented higher diversity and richness of predators compared with CONV, even when natural preparations were used for pest control. The phytophagous arthropods showed higher diversity and richness in CONV, even when pyrethroid insecticides were applied for pest control and preventively. The abundance in AE was lower for predators and higher for phytophagous arthropods. Agroecological production of cotton can be a tool that favors conservative biological control and an alternative for areas where protecting the health of farmers and the ecosystem is a priority.

Unlocking Innovation in Crop Resilience and Productivity: Breakthroughs in Biotechnology and Sustainable Farming

Recent advancements in agricultural biotechnology and sustainable practices are revolutionizing crop production and resilience, addressing global food security challenges. This review highlights cutting-edge innovations in plant sciences, including genetic engineering, genome editing technologies, and biotechnological interventions that enhance crop resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. It discusses the integration of precision agriculture and digital farming tools that optimize resource use and boost productivity, providing data-driven insights for better crop management. Additionally, sustainable agricultural practices such as agroecology, organic farming, and integrated pest management are examined for their potential to reduce environmental impact while maintaining high yield. The review investigates the key practices like conservation tillage, crop rotation, and biological pest control, emphasizing their roles in enhancing soil health, biodiversity, and agricultural resilience. Significant contributions of biotechnological interventions, including genetic engineering and genome editing, are explored for developing stress-resistant and high-yield crop varieties. Moreover, the integration of precision agriculture and digital farming technologies is discussed for their potential to optimize resource utilization and improve crop management through advanced data analytics.

Determining selectivity of isocycloseram and afidopyropen and their compatibility with conservation biological control in Arizona cotton.

Selective tools, including selective insecticides and transgenic cotton, have been crucial in reducing insecticide usage within the integrated pest management (IPM) plan for Arizona cotton. To guide growers effectively, cotton field trials evaluated the effects of the novel insecticides, isocycloseram and afidopyropen against our primary pests, Bemisia argentifolii and Lygus hesperus, and their impacts on nontarget arthropods, including key predators: Collops spp., Orius tristicolor, Geocoris spp., Misumenops celer, Drapetis nr. divergens and Chrysoperla carnea s.l. Assessments involved over 27 arthropod taxa through community analyses, individual predator abundance, and biological control function via predator to prey ratios and a sentinel prey method. Comparisons were made with an untreated check, a proven fully selective insecticide (flonicamid) and acephate-treated positive controls. Overall, relative to the untreated check, afidopyropen showed no significant differences, whereas isocycloseram exhibited some negative impacts, primarily reducing M. celer and Geocoris spp. nymphs, yet it was less detrimental compared with the positive control, acephate, and it did not affect four of the six key predators and most nontarget arthropods. Afidopyropen was classified as a fully selective insecticide and isocycloseram as a partially selective insecticide. Their fit for conservation biological control in Arizona cotton IPM and similar systems is discussed. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A Review of the Arrival, Effects, and Management of Bagrada hilaris in South America: The Case of Chile

Biological invasions are partly defined by their ability to spread rapidly within invaded regions, posing threats to biodiversity and local species assemblages. The painted bug, Bagrada hilaris (Hemiptera, Pentatomidae) (Burmeister, 1835), originally described as being from India, is an important pest worldwide, mainly due to the serious economic losses incurred and the large number of zones invaded. Since its initial detection in Chile in 2016, the invasive and destructive paint bug has started its invasion to the east and invaded new areas in South America. Without adequate control methods, the insect may threaten brassica crop production, resulting in yield losses greater than 70% in recently infested areas. The extraordinarily wide range of the B. hilaris invasion has necessitated studies describing its biology and ecology, as well as highlighting the urgent need for effective and long-term management techniques. Hence, thoroughly revising the data on this pest in new areas that have been invaded, as well as in the area of origin, is expected to enable the development of management programs. This review incorporates information on B. hilaris in South America, including the invasion, ecology, and potential management approaches, which may allow for efficient integrated pest management, mainly in Chile. Lastly, researchers are expected to break the bottlenecks of some key issues, offering valuable perspectives for identifying strategies that warrant additional research as potential biological control agents for B. hilaris in South America, utilizing either augmentative or conservation biological control approaches, as well as semiochemicals and cultural practices.

Functional structure of the natural enemy community of the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda in the Americas

Ecosystem functions such as biological pest control are mediated by the richness and abundance of service providers i.e., biological control agents (BCAs), relative contributions of individual taxa and community structure. This is especially relevant in the native range of agricultural herbivores, where a speciose community of co-evolved BCAs can prevent them from attaining pest status. Here, we use a powerful graphical approach to assess the functional structure of BCA communities of the fall armyworm (FAW) Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on maize in the Neotropics. Drawing upon a curated database of all-time field and laboratory studies, we graphed patterns in the functional contribution, abundance and niche breadth for a respective 69, 53 and 3 taxa of resident parasitoids, predators and pathogens. Regardless of varying taxon coverage and rigor of the underlying studies, functional structure follows a saturating relationship in which the first three taxa account for 90–98% of aggregate biological control function. Abundance-functionality matrices prove critically incomplete, as more than 80% of invertebrate taxa miss empirically derived efficiency metrics while associated FAW infestation data are scarce. Despite its methodological shortfalls and data gaps, our work pinpoints Chelonus insularis, Cryptus albitarsis, several taxa of egg parasitoids, Doru spp. and Orius spp. as taxa with outsized functionality and conservation potential. This is also exemplified by the highly variable aggregate function across studies, with dispersion indices of 1.52 and 2.14 for invertebrate BCAs. Our work underlines the critical importance of functional ecology research, networked trials and standardized methodologies in advancing conservation biological control globally

Integrated Pest Management: An Update on the Sustainability Approach to Crop Protection.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) emerged as a pest control framework promoting sustainable intensification of agriculture, by adopting a combined strategy to reduce reliance on chemical pesticides while improving crop productivity and ecosystem health. This critical review synthesizes the most recent advances in IPM research and practice, mostly focusing on studies published within the past five years. The Review discusses the key components of IPM, including cultural practices, biological control, genetic pest control, and targeted pesticide application, with a particular emphasis on the significant advancements made in biological control and targeted pesticide delivery systems. Recent findings highlight the growing importance of genetic control and conservation biological control, which involves the management of agricultural landscapes to promote natural enemy populations. Furthermore, the recent discovery of novel biopesticides, including microbial agents and plant-derived compounds, has expanded the arsenal of tools available for eco-friendly pest management. Substantial progress has recently also been made in the development of targeted pesticide delivery systems, such as nanoemulsions and controlled-release formulations, which can minimize the environmental impact of pesticides while maintaining their efficacy. The Review also analyzes the environmental, economic, and social dimensions of IPM adoption, showcasing its potential to promote biodiversity conservation and ensure food safety. Case studies from various agroecological contexts demonstrate the successful implementation of IPM programs, highlighting the importance of participatory approaches and effective knowledge exchange among stakeholders. The Review also identifies the main challenges and opportunities for the widespread adoption of IPM, including the need for transdisciplinary research, capacity building, and policy support. In conclusion, this critical review discusses the essential role of IPM components in achieving the sustainable intensification of agriculture, as it seeks to optimize crop production while minimizing adverse environmental impacts and enhancing the resilience of agricultural systems to global challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss.

Diptera as predators in biological control: applications and future perspectives

AbstractThe role of dipteran predators in biological pest control programs is reviewed and discussed. Diptera encompasses a large number of potentially efficient predators for biological pest control, yet only a few species are routinary used. The families Syrphidae and Cecidomyiidae provide some of the most successful examples of biological control, but other families (e.g., Muscidae, Sarcophagidae, Sciomyzidae) also include species with that potential. Most applications of Diptera as predators involve the conservation biological control approach, while the augmentative approach has involved only a few species, almost exclusively of Syrphidae and Cecidomyiidae. In a few cases, classical biological control has been employed. Commercialization of species mainly to be used in the augmentative approach is discussed, also focusing on the critical issues linked to rearing methods. The dual services performed by Diptera (pollination as adults and biological control as larvae) have been studied in detail for Syrphidae only, but would deserve further study in other families, e.g., Sarcophagidae. This is the first review in which the use of predatory Diptera in biological control programs is investigated for all families and in all types of applications. This review recommends a multi-taxon approach in the use of Diptera in biological control since a large number of taxa have considerable potential, although this has not yet been tested in practical applications.

Tachinids in conservation biological control of phytophagous Pentatomidae

Tachinids in conservation biological control of phytophagous Pentatomidae

Conservation biological control of stink bugs: current knowledge and future perspectives

Conservation biological control of stink bugs: current knowledge and future perspectives

Conservation biological control on-farm, using VOCs combined with maintained natural border vegetation for a more unerring and resilient biological control of aphids in cereals

Conservation biological control on-farm, using VOCs combined with maintained natural border vegetation for a more unerring and resilient biological control of aphids in cereals

Evaluating the impact of alyssum flower strips on biological control of key pests in flue‐cured tobacco agroecosystems

AbstractFlue‐cured tobacco, Nicotiana tabacum (L.), is often attacked by various pests such as aphids, whiteflies and tobacco budworm. Insecticide application has been the primary method in managing these pests for Yunnan Province. However, it is necessary to look for more sustainable strategies that can help control pests. In this context, conservation biological control is a highly promising alternative, involving the cultivation or conservation of flowering plants within the agricultural ecosystem to attract and support natural enemies. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential of alyssum, Lobularia maritima (L.) Desv., in attracting natural enemies and managing pests in flue‐cured tobacco cultivation. The study conducted two field experiments over successive years, each with of two treatments and three replicates, arranged in a completely randomized design. The treatments were (1) tobacco monoculture and (2) tobacco intercropped with alyssum flower strips. The population density of natural enemies and pests was monitored weekly throughout the study period. The results showed that the presence of alyssum flowers in the tobaccosalyssum treatment significantly increased the abundance of generalist predators such as syrphids, rove beetles, carabids, Orius sp. and spiders during both experiments. This increase in predator population led to a substantial reduction in tobacco pests, particularly aphids. Intercropping alyssum with tobacco can serve as an effective strategy for managing pests specific to the Nicotiana plant, as well as addressing the limited availability of approved insecticides for this crop. This approach may help to mitigate pest‐related issues and reduce the reliance on insecticides in tobacco cultivation, contributing to more sustainable pest management practices.

Does biodiversity affect Olive fly populations? Evidence from different understorey treatments

The agricultural industry is intensifying production methods to increase crop yields. Olive cultivation, the prevalent permanent crop in Europe and the Mediterranean area, involves intense practices with heavy agrochemical use. This significantly impacts agroecosystem biodiversity and its ecosystem services. In this study, we explore how biodiversity influences the adult olive fly (Bactrocera oleae (Rossi)) population in Lesvos Island, Greece, under different understorey management practices in olive groves. Our findings show that increased plant and arthropod abundance and diversity negatively affect the olive fly. The results suggest that maintaining undisturbed plant cover enhances olive grove biodiversity, ecosystem services, and biological control of the olive fly. Moreover, this practice is in line with Integrated Pest Management principles and Conservation Biological Control approach.

Longevity of hymenopteran parasitoids in natural versus agricultural habitats and implications for biological control.

Agricultural habitats are frequently disturbed, and disturbances could have major effects on species in upper trophic levels such as hymenopteran parasitoids that are important for biological control. A strategy for conservation biological control is to provide a diversified agricultural landscape which increases the availability of resources such as sugar required by parasitoid biological control agents. Here, we ask whether parasitoids occurring in agriculture benefit from sugar resources more or less than parasitoids occurring in natural habitats surrounding agricultural fields. We collected parasitoids from agricultural alfalfa fields, field margins, and natural prairies, and in the lab we randomly divided them into two treatments: half were given a constant supply of a sugar source to test their residual lifespan, and half were given neither sugar nor water to test their hardiness. Collected individuals were monitored daily and their day of death recorded. Parasitoids receiving a sugar source lived substantially longer than those without. Parasitoids collected in prairies lived longer than those from alfalfa fields in both the residual lifespan and hardiness treatments, with parasitoids from field margins being intermediate between them. Furthermore, the benefits of a sugar source to increase longevity was lower for parasitoids collected in agriculture than in natural habitats. This suggests that, even though parasitoid biological control agents benefit from sugar resources, their short lifespans make the benefit of sugar resources small compared to parasitoids that occur in natural habitats and have longer lifespans, and are adapted to consistent sugar sources.

Manipulating the community structure of arthropods in rice fields with floral resources plants

Abstract Conservation biological control encourages natural enemies to suppress target pests through manipulation of environmental factors that influence natural enemy survival and effectiveness, including microclimates, availability of food for adults and alternative prey, and shelter from adverse environmental conditions. This study aimed to identify selective flowering plants that could be used to manipulate the arthropod community structure in rice fields. Three rice fields (a field without resources of flowering plants, a field with vegetable crop, and a field with ornamental plant) were used in this experiment. The flowering plants included Helianthus sp., Catharanthus roseus, and Cosmos sulphureus while the vegetable plants included eggplant, cucumber, and long beans. Arthropod recording was carried out by direct observation and yellow pan traps from 14 to 98 days after planting. We recorded 33,728 arthropods representing 153 species in 68 families, 13 orders, and 2 classes. The presence of flowering plant significantly affects abundance, species richness, diversity index, and evenness of arthropods both in dry and wet seasons. The rice field surrounded with ornamental plants or vegetables showed the lowest abundance of phytophagous arthropods, the highest abundance of parasitoid and predatory arthropods. Therefore, vegetable crops such as cucumber, long beans and eggplant have great opportunities as refugia in rice fields.

The interplay of intercropping, wildflower strips and weeds in conservation biological control and productivity

AbstractDifferent diversification practices have the potential to reduce pests and therefore pesticide use. Yet, their integration at the agroecosystem level and the evaluation of their multifunctional effects remain limited. Through a two-year field experiment conducted in Germany, we tested whether associating intercropping (faba bean-wheat, followed by breadseed poppy-barley) with pluriannual wildflower strips strengthens the biological regulation of aphid pests and weeds, and enhances cropping system productivity. The contribution of flowering weeds to conservation biological control was also analysed. Aphid but also predator colonization and predation rates on bean and poppy were consistently lower in intercropping compared to sole cropping. Wildflower strips enhanced aphid predation in bean-wheat intercropping, and further reduced aphid colonization at 10 m distance but not at 20 m in poppy-barley intercropping. Weed biomass was consistently reduced in intercropping compared to sole cropping bean and poppy, and did not significantly affect bean and poppy yields in intercropping. The cover of one flowering weed species, Matricaria recutita, was negatively correlated to aphid colonization and positively correlated to predation rate. Matricaria recutita flowers were also visited more often by predatory hoverflies in plots adjacent to wildflower strips. Finally, land equivalent ratio was consistently higher than 1, and the highest in bean-wheat intercropping associated to wildflower strips. The study demonstrates the benefits of associating wildflower strips to intercropping to strengthen biological control and cropping system productivity. Flowering weeds, maintained at an acceptable level through intercropping, turn out to be relevant functional biodiversity in interacting with wildflower strips for conservation biological control.

Entomofauna presente en refugios vegetales en un campo de vid var. Crimson Seedless en Ica-Perú

The use of chemical pesticides to control pests also affects beneficial insects, so it is necessary to implement mechanisms that allow them to be protected and promote their development. In the present investigation, three plant shelters were installed to identify their entomofauna and determine the plant species with the potential to host biological controllers of grapevine pests. The study was carried out in the 2020-21 growing season, with seven plant species to make up three plant shelters (A, B, and C) that were installed on the edges of a vineyard of the Crimson Seedless variety in Ica, Peru. In total, 1,209 insects were reported, in six orders, nine families, and sixteen species; the most abundant were pollinators, followed by phytophagous, predators, and some parasitoids. There were no statistical differences between the shelters in terms of the abundance of parasitoids and pollinators, but there were in predators and phytophagous specifically between shelters A and B with C. Shelters A and B, which included the fennel Foeniculum vulgare Mill., stood out for having a larger population of predators, including Chrysoperla externa (Hagen), the main controller of the “vine mealybug” (Planococcus spp.). The importance of plant shelters was demonstrated and their implementation in vineyards is recommended to promote biological control and contribute to integrated pest management in this crop. Keywords: biodiversity, natural enemies, conservation biological control.

Volatile chemical cues emitted by an agricultural companion plant (Cnidium monnieri) attract predatory lacewings (Chrysoperla sinica)

Plant volatiles play an important role in the recruitment of arthropod natural enemies and are widely used in foraging by many species. Therefore, identification of plants that release useful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) for influencing natural enemies and for the control of pests can be helpful in conservation biological control. Cnidium monnieri (L.) can convene many predatory enemies (lady beetles, hoverflies, lacewings) as a functional plant. The Chrysoperla sinica (Tjeder) is a dominant generalist predator, and can control the population of various pests in agricultural fields. However, how C. monnier recruits C. sinica and the chemical association between them is unknown. In this study, we tested the attractiveness of odor released by flowers and leaves of C. monnieri to C. sinica in Y-tube olfactometer. Next, we conducted solid phase microextraction (SPME), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS), and electrophysiological studies (EAG) to analyze the compounds and identified the volatile components which have effects on C. sinica. We also used a Y-tube olfactometer to verify the effectiveness of the volatile components on C. sinica under laboratory conditions. In olfactometer trials, C. sinica adults preferred flowers compared with leaves and fresh air. In GC–MS and electroantennography trials, seventy-six volatiles extracted from C. monnieri, twelve antenna-active components in three different concentrations (0.1 μg/mL, 1 μg/mL, 10 μg/mL) were detected for electroantennography. In the last behavioral identification assays, four synthetic compounds (10 μg/mL) had significant attractiveness of adult C. sinica antenna (i.e., γ-terpinene, trans-β-Ocimene, nerolidol, (Z)-3-Hexen-1-ol). These studies suggest that there is a chemical association between natural enemies C. sinica and the functional plant C. monnieri. This study provides a basis that can facilitate the production and application of attracting natural enemy and development and application of enhancing attractants.

Community composition of the entomopathogenic fungal genus Metarhizium in soils of tropical and temperate conventional and organic strawberry fields

Studies on community composition and population structure of entomopathogenic fungi are imperative to link ecosystem functions to conservation biological control. We studied the diversity and abundance of Metarhizium spp. from soil of conventionally and organically farmed strawberry crops and from the adjacent field margins in two different climatic zones: Brazil (tropical) and Denmark (temperate), using the same isolating methods. In Brazilian strawberry soil, Metarhizium robertsii (n = 129 isolates) was the most abundant species, followed by M. humberi (n = 16); M. anisopliae (n = 6); one new taxonomically unassigned lineage Metarhizium sp. indet. 5 (n = 4); M. pingshaense (n = 1) and M. brunneum (n = 1). In Denmark, species composition was very different, with M. brunneum (n = 33) being isolated most commonly, followed by M. flavoviride (n = 6) and M. pemphigi (n = 5), described for the first time in Denmark. In total, 17 haplotypes were determined based on MzFG543igs sequences, four representing Danish isolates and 13 representing Brazilian isolates. No overall difference between the two climatic regimes was detected regarding the abundance of Metarhizium spp. in the soil in strawberry fields and the field margins. However, we found a higher Shannon's diversity index in organically managed soils, confirming a more diverse Metarhizium community than in soils of conventionally managed agroecosystems in both countries. These findings contribute to the knowledge of the indigenous diversity of Metarhizium in agricultural field margins with the potential to contribute to pest regulation in strawberry cropping systems.

Status and trends of biological control research, extension, and education in the United States

Abstract The number of public-sector biological control scientists and practitioners in the United States was determined by a survey conducted in 2019. A total of 344 personnel were identified in 49 states and Washington DC; 218 employed by universities, 86 by the federal government and 36 by state departments of agriculture. There were 10-34 personnel in eight states, 6-9 in 11, and 0-5 in 31, overall averaging less than 50% of their combined effort on biological control. Applications for biological control agents included about 30% for row crops and vegetables; 12% each for orchards, urban landscapes, outdoor ornamentals, and forests; and 22% for the remainder. The federal government provided an average of 42% of the funding for university, federal, and state biological control research and extension. The states contributed 29-35%, commodity groups supplied 19-24%, and the remaining funds were from private sources. Of 54 universities in the United States, 18 conducted in-person classroom education and training in biological control, with seven offering courses via distance. However, another 18 universities had discontinued their comprehensive courses. Biological control instruction was incorporated into courses and workshops on integrated pest management and sustainable agriculture at 50 universities. Correspondingly, during the past 24 years, biological control has gradually developed from primarily an independent discipline to increasingly being part of integrated pest management. Classical, augmentative and conservation biological control have nevertheless remained distinguishable high priority subdisciplines. Funding continues to be essential for advancing biological control, requiring societal understanding and acceptance. Advancement of biological control in the United States will require increased investment in personnel and their education and training, along with delivery of effective pest management technologies.

Chemical and visual stimuli for conservation biological control of stink bugs in soybean: potential use and flaws on egg parasitoid recruitment

Chemical and visual stimuli for conservation biological control of stink bugs in soybean: potential use and flaws on egg parasitoid recruitment