Handbook Of Biological Control And Horticultural Crops

Though it is evident that biological control programmes have been successfully implemented in a wide range of crop environments in all parts of the world, and the potential to increase the role of biological control is great, it remains the case that the adoption and implementation of this method of control is slow. Owing to technical and economic, but mainly attitudinal barriers, ecologically sound pest management has not been used for a wide variety of pests and diseases. Although the funding for research on biological control is limited, it is certain that the main constraints are related to the attitudes of advisory personnel and farmers, combined with the disinterest in anything other than chemical control among the pesticide industries, and the hollow endorsement of alternative methods made by policy makers in which words are yet to be matched by a realistic investment in research and development. However, it is certain that future pest management will depend strongly on biological control because it is the most sustainable, cheapest and environmentally safest system of pest management, with additional benefits for growers and consumers.