As well as examining successful biological control programmes this book analyses why the majority of attempts fail. Off-target and other negative effects of biological control are also dealt with. Chapters contributed by leading international researchers and practitioners in all areas of biological control afford the book a breadth of coverage and depth of analysis not possible with a single author volume. Combined with the use of other experts to review chapters and editorial oversight to ensure thematic integrity of the volume, this book provides the most authoritative analysis of biological control published. Key aspects addressed include how success may be measured, how successful biological control has been to date and how may it be made more successful in the future. With extensive use of contemporary examples, photographs, figures and tables this book will be invaluable to advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students as well as being a `must' for all involved in making biological control successful.

A wide-ranging, interdisciplinary exploration of key topics that interrelate pest management, public health and the environment This book takes a unique, multidimensional approach to addressing the complex issues surrounding pest management activities and their impacts on the environment and human health, and environmental effects on plant protection practices. It features contributions by a distinguished group of authors from ten countries, representing an array of disciplines. They include plant protection scientists and officers, economists, agronomists, ecologists, environmental and public health scientists and government policymakers. Over the course of eighteen chapters, those experts share their insights into and analyses of an array of issues of vital concern to everyone with a professional interest in this important subject. The adverse effects of pest control have become a subject of great concern worldwide, and researchers and enlightened policymakers have at last begun to appreciate the impact of environmental factors on our ability to manage pest populations. Moreover, while issues such as pesticide toxicity have dominated the global conversation about pest management, economic and societal considerations have been largely neglected. Environmental Pest Management: Challenges for Agronomists, Ecologists, Economists and Policymakers is the first work to provide in-depth coverage of all of these pressing issues between the covers of one book. Offers a unique multi-dimensional perspective on the complex issues surrounding pest management activities and their effect on the environment and human health Addresses growing concerns about specific pest management strategies, including the use of transgenic crops and biological controls Analyses the influence of global processes, such as climate change, biological invasions and shifts in consumer demand, and ecosystem services and disservices on pest suppression efforts Explores public health concerns regarding biodiversity, pesticide use and food safety Identifies key economic drivers of pest suppression research, strategies and technologies Proposes new regulatory approaches to create sustainable and viable crop protection systems in the framework of agro-environmental schemes Offering a timely and comprehensively-unique treatment of pest management and its environmental impacts in a single, inter-disciplinary volume, this book is a valuable resource for scientists in an array of disciplines, as well as government officials and policymakers. Also, teachers of undergraduate and graduate level courses in a variety of fields are sure to find it a highly useful teaching resource.

Publisher Description

This is the last volume of the IPMD series. It aims, in a multi-disciplinary approach, at reviewing and discussing recent advances and achievements in the practice of crop protection and integrated pest and disease management. This last effort deals with management of arthropods, and is organized with a first section on biological control in citrus orchards, a second one on advanced and integrated technologies for insect pest management and a last section, dealing with mites and their biological control. A wide and exaustive literature already covers several aspects of chemical or biological control of insects and mites, but there is still a need for a more holistic vision of management, accounting for different problems and solutions, as they are applied or developed, in different regions and cropping systems, worldwide. In this series we attempted to fill this gap, providing an informative coverage for a broad range of agricultural systems and situations.

This volume is a comprehensive treatment of how the principles of ecology and conservation biology can be used to maximize biological control. Conservation Biological Control presents various means to modify or manipulate the environment to enhance the activities of natural enemies of pests. It establishes a conceptual link between ecology and the agricultural use of agents for biological control, and discusses both theoretical issues as well as practical management concerns. Certain to be interesting to ecologists and entomologists, this volume will also appeal to scientists, faculty, researchers and students interested in pest management, horticulture, plant sciences, and agriculture. - Contains chapters by an international team of leading authorities - Establishes a conceptual link between ecology and the agricultural use of agents for biological control - Discusses both theoretical issues as well as practical management concerns - Provides specific examples of how conservation principles are used to maximize the biological control of pests

This book enhances our understanding of biological control, integrating historical analysis, theoretical models and case studies in an ecological framework.

"University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management Project."

Their natural enemies largely determine the population size and dynamic behavior of many plant-eating insects. Any reduction in enemy number can result in an insect outbreak. Applied biological control is thus one strategy for restoring functional biodiversity in many agroecosystems. Predators and Parasitoids addresses the role of natural enemies i

Arthropod pests are responsible for huge annual losses in global crop production and for transmitting a number of infectious diseases. The control of such pests is therefore of the utmost importance. An Introduction to Arthropod Pest Control provides an up-to-date, detailed overview of current approaches to pest control including chemical pest control, the use of biological and biorational control agents, as well as the latest developments in biotechnology. The book specifically emphasises the techniques available for controlling pests using examples of crop pests, animal pests, and pests that transmit disease, from a wide range of countries. The book is intended as a standard introductory text for undergraduate and postgraduate students in the fields of pest control, entomology, crop protection, and agricultural and environmental sciences. It is also aimed at professional pest control practitioners and government employees working in extension services.