Enhancing biocontrol of oilseed rape pests through the management of natural enemies

• Research unit: EU RFP
• Project number: 96.0347

Key words (English)

Rape pests; natural enemies; biocontrol; pathogens

Alternative project number (English)

EU project number: FAIR-CT96-1314

Research programs (English)

EU-programme: 4. Frame Research Programme - 4.3 Biomedical/Health research

Short description (English)

See abstract

Further information (English)

Full name of research-institution/enterprise:
Eidg. Forschungsanstalt für Agrarökologie und Landbau FAL
IUL
Zürich-Reckenholz

Partners and International Organizations (English)

ADAS (UK), IACR-Rothamsted (UK), DIAS (DK), SUAS (S), SLU(S), Uni Helsinki (FIN), BBA (D), Uni Göttingen (D), CETIOM (F), LBIBA (A):

Abstract (English)

The aim of this Concerted Action was to establish a network and provide a forum for information and technological exchange to co-ordinate and exploit existing knowledge on natural enemies of oilseed rape pests for the overall benefit of the environment and landscape structures. Also to device strategies for farmers to exploit natural enemies and thereby minimize and better rationalize pesticide use on rape crops and to disseminate results and practical guidance to national extension services and regulatory authorities.
A special key for parasitoids of oilseed rape pests was established by a taxanomic specialist. Also a list of the most abundant predators is rape in the different countries was compiled. This list include the most important carabid beetles, ladybirds, rove beetles, soldier beetles, predatory dipterian families and spiders.Within the mass of available information about taxanomy it is planned to develop simplified keys for the main predator taxa occurring in oilseed rape fields. This key will be included in the planned monograph with the title: 'Bio-control of insect pests of oilseed rape' which will have the following parts: Introduction, parasitoids, predators, pathogens and integrated pest management. The co-ordinator of the Concerted Action made a contract with Blackwell Science Limited to publish the monograph as a book. This book will also include trapping, sampling and rearing methods for the various natural enemies as well isolation and culturing techniques for pathogens.
During the Concerted Action in each year two newsletter were distributed which contains the reports of the meetings and other informations. Also a database was established which contains headings like Newsletter, membership list, references, pest species, natural enemy species list (parasitoids, predators and pathogens), pesticide usage in the different countries and a photograph index.

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: Euro-DB of the
State Secretariat for Education and Research
Hallwylstrasse 4
CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Swiss Project-Number: 96.0347