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Biological control agents of weeds include seed predators, herbivores, and plant pathogens. Biological control can have side-effects on biodiversity through attacks on non-target species by any of the above mechanisms, especially when a species is introduced without a thorough understanding of the possible consequences.
Biological pest control is a rapidly expanding field of agriculture, where natural agents, primarily parasitoids and predators are used to control a pest organism that has been causing economic harm to human interests. These methods can be as alternatives or supplements to conventional pest control methods such as insecticides.
A separate award for graduate students in biological control was established in 1966. [16] The Harry S. Smith scholarship fund was established for students studying biological control, started with a $15,000 bequest from Smith for that purpose. [17] The archives of Smith's papers are now stored with the Entomology Department of UCR. [18]
Mechanical controls—Should a pest reach an unacceptable level, mechanical methods are the first options. They include simple hand-picking, barriers, traps, vacuuming and tillage to disrupt breeding. Biological controls—Natural biological processes and materials can provide control, with acceptable environmental impact, and often at lower cost.
BioControl is a peer-reviewed scientific journal published by Springer Science+Business Media covering all aspects of basic and applied research in biological control of invertebrate, vertebrate, and weed pests, and plant diseases.
The screw-worm fly was the first pest successfully eliminated from an area through the sterile insect technique, by the use of an integrated area-wide approach.. The sterile insect technique (SIT) [1] [2] is a method of biological insect control, whereby overwhelming numbers of sterile insects are released into the wild.
Chinese agronomy recognised biological control by natural enemies of pests and the varying of planting time to reduce pests before the first century AD. The agricultural revolution in Europe saw the introduction of effective plant-based insecticides such as pyrethrum , derris , quassia , and tobacco extract.
An insect growth regulator (IGR) is a chemical insecticide that kills insects indirectly by disrupting their life cycles. [1] The term was initially proposed to describe the effects of juvenile hormone analogs. [2]