Biocontrol experiments with fungi have often produced inconsistent results and this has deterred commercial development. However, many fungi are amenable to genetic modification for purposes of enhancing utility for disease control, insect and plant pest management or bioremediation. In such cases, ...

This chapter relates the research and development of two granulovirus-based insecticides to manage the codling moth, Cydia pomonella, which is a worldwide pest of a number of fruit crops. Madex®, and Virosoft^CP4® were registered in Switzerland and Canada, respectively.

Implementation of an IPM project in Brazil to control the velvetbean caterpillar in soyabean presented a unique opportunity to take advantage of a naturally occurring nucleopolyhedrosis virus against the pest. This is the story of the discovery and implementation of this virus, which is presently...

The balsam fir sawfly is an indigenous pest of coniferous forests in North America. Since 1990, outbreak populations of balsam fir sawflies and subsequent defoliation of balsam fir have been especially severe in western Newfoundland. A species-specific nucleopolyhedrovirus has been known to cause...

Foreign genes expressing insecticidal proteins have been introduced into baculoviruses to improve their efficacy. These recombinant baculoviruses were shown to paralyze and kill target larvae faster than the wild types. In order to find out whether genetically modified baculoviruses had any...

In North America consumers are demanding high-quality fresh apples virtually free of any pesticide residues. Meanwhile, in addition to diseases of apples, there are over a hundred different species of arthropods that are direct or indirect pests of apple. Because of the extensive scientific...

Although natural biological control of pests occurs at almost all times and places, it frequently is insufficient to keep pests below the economic threshold. However, in some cases, naturally occurring biological control agents predictably hold pests in check, allowing the delay or avoidance of...

This book contains 31 chapters covering aphids as crop pests, from recent advances in molecular science and chemical ecology to forecasting and insect pest management decision support systems. It is a comprehensive reference volume on all aspects of the biology of aphids that are relevant to their...

The first two sections of this chapter deal with predators and parasitoids, respectively, with focus on the foraging behaviour and on cues triggering successful search. Laboratory studies suggest that many natural enemies of aphids have the potential to decimate the host or prey population. Because ...

This chapters covers the mode of action of entomopathogens including protozoan, bacterial, viral and fungal entomopathogens. Ecosystem interactions with pathogens and the use of entomopathogens in integrated pest management are discussed.