Sanchez, J. A.

Book Description "Biological control: a global perspective": This book contains 45 chapters divided into four sections, i.e. classical biocontrol programmes, inundative (or augmentative) biocontrol programmes (using nematodes, bacteria, fungi and viruses), conservation biocontrol programmes and networking in biocontrol. It describes the personal experiences of scientists from the initial search for suitable control agents against weeds and pests, to the release of these biological control agents into ecosystems and finally to the beneficial outcomes demonstrating the success of biological control across diverse agroecosystems. Book chapter: Generalist natural enemies can be key members of biological control programmes. We believe that importation of generalist natural enemies for biological control should be avoided, and that endemic natural enemies should be used instead. We summarize our progress developing a generalist mirid, Dicyphus hesperus, for biological control in greenhouse tomato crops. Our success in locating a generalist mirid which can fill a niche in protected culture illustrates the potential for such approaches. This predator satisfies four of five preconditions that we set when we started the project and could potentially be used successfully as part of biological control programmes in greenhouses in North America.

Cumulative temperature requirements and development thresholds were determined for two populations of Dicyphus hesperus Knight, 1943 to compare their suitability for use in biological control in greenhouse vegetable crops. The populations were from near Summerland, British Columbia, Canada (49°36′N, 119°40′W, at 334 m elevation) and from near Woody, California, United States of America (35°42′N, 118°50′W, at 500 m elevation). Eggs of the California (CA) population had a higher cumulative temperature requirement for hatch than those of the British Columbia (BC) population. Males of the CA population had a slightly lower cumulative temperature requirement for development from hatch to adult than males of the BC population. The populations did not differ with respect to development thresholds. Males of the CA population experienced higher mortality during development at 35 °C than BC males or females of either population. Males and females of both populations developing at 35 °C were significantly smaller than those developing at more moderate temperatures. The differences between populations with respect to development were biologically trivial. With respect to the effects of temperature on development time under greenhouse conditions, the two populations appear to be equally suitable for use in greenhouses.