Students taking the IPM course
28 March 2019 – Twenty-four agricultural students from around the world, including China, Cuba, Vietnam, Myanmar, Egypt, Iran, Malaysia, Somalia, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Pakistan, have passed a five-day course in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) organised by CABI.
Dr Stefan Toepfer, Visiting Professor at the Institute of Plant Protection of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science (CAAS), delivered the course which trained MSc and PhD students on various areas aspects of IPM – vital to help protect crops from devastating pests and diseases which, in turn, threaten food security and safety.
The course, presented at the MARA-CABI Joint Laboratory for Biosafety in Beijing, included the diagnosis of plant health problems, preventative measures, as well as monitoring and decision making, diverse direct control non-chemical and least toxic chemical measures, and finally, the design of IPM programmes.
Dr Stefan Toepfer
Dr Toepfer said, ‘The students were taught the very latest in IPM techniques. These techniques help keeping arthropod pests and diseases and weeds below levels that cause economic damage while considering a range of other factors. These include the ecology of crops, pests and their natural enemies, local conditions and practicability, socio-economic aspects and international and local standards and compliance criteria.’
The course, which was delivered for the fifth successive year and will be run again in early 2020, comprised of interactive lectures and practical activities on IPM. This included the opportunity for students to develop and present nine decision guides on IPM following the standards of the International Organisation for Biological Control as well as Plantwise and agricultural policies.
Students across China, who are interested in the course, should contact Shuping (IPP-CAAS) at shp.l@126.com or Wang Yao (GS CAAS) at wangyao@caas.cn for further details.
Additional information
MARA-CABI Joint Laboratory for Biosafety
In 2008, CABI joined with the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture to establish the MARA-CABI Joint Laboratory for Biosafety at the Institute of Plant Protection in the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing.
The partners are working together on invasive species, integrated pest management technologies and development of biopesticides. This joint initiative offers a platform for research collaboration, a centre for training and scientific exchanges, an open platform for joint collaboration with third parties and a consultancy service.
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