Advances in biocontrol of crop insect pests

Description

As a result of increasing consumer and regulatory concern about the environmental impact of synthetic pesticide use, the biocontrol sector has rapidly expanded and continues to diversify in its product offering, with a suggested estimate of over 1700 different biocontrol products now available on the market.

Advances in biocontrol of crop insect pests provides a detailed overview of some of the key developments in this area, including the techniques used to disrupt insect pest behaviour, such as the use of semiochemicals and genetic engineering. The book also reviews recent advances in understanding plant defences against insect pest attacks and how these defences can be improved to limit crop damage and yield.

Through its exploration of the recent advances in the biocontrol sector, the book highlights the potential of novel biocontrol agents to reduce agriculture’s environmental impact, whilst also considering the key formulation issues and regulatory challenges that may arise during the product development stage.

Table of contents

Part 1 Disrupting insect pest behaviour

• 1.Understanding and exploiting the ways insect pests identify and colonise host plants for improved integrated pest management: an overview: David Teulon, Plant and Food Research, New Zealand;
• 2.Developments in the use of semiochemicals for mating disruption in insect pest control: Jürgen Gross, Institute for Plant Protection in Fruit Crops and Viticulture – Julius Kühn Institute, Germany;
• 3.Acoustic techniques to disrupt insect pest behaviour: Richard Mankin, USDA-ARS, USA;
• 4.Genetic engineering of insects to inhibit insect pest reproduction: Max Scott, North Carolina State University, USA;

Part 2 Novel biocontrol agents

• 5.Developing plant-based insect biocontrol agents: Azucena Gonzalez-Coloma, CSIC, Spain;
• 6.Developments in neuropeptide-based biocontrol agents to manage insect pests: Shireen Davies, University of Glasgow, UK;
• 7.Using gene silencing (RNA interference) techniques to produce safe insecticidal compounds: Salvatore Arpaia, ENEA, Italy;
• 8.Key issues in formulation of biocontrol agents for plant protection: Linda Muskat, University of Applied Sciences - Bielefeld, Germany;
• 9.Developments in application technologies for biocontrol agents for pest control: Claudia Preininger, Austrian Institute of Technology, Austria;
• 10.Improving regulation of biocontrol agents for insect pests: Shannon Borges, Biopesticides and Pollution Prevention Division – Environmental Protection Agency, USA;
• 11.Challenges in commercialising new biocontrol products for controlling insect pests: Travis Glare, Lincoln University, New Zealand;

Part 3 Improving plant defences against insect attack

• 12.Understanding plant defences against pest attack: Michael Stout, Louisiana State University, USA;
• 13.Advances in breeding insect pest-resistant crops: Rachel Wells, John Innes Centre, UK;