Prospects for the compatible use of biological agents and insecticides in arable crops.

Abstract

Increasingly, farmers are turning to an integrated approach to pest management, using a combination of insecticides and natural enemies of the pests. This is being done both to save costs and in response to a growing awareness of the direct and indirect impact of broad-spectrum insecticides on 'non-target' organisms, such as predators of pests, in the crop and on wildlife in general.
Current research follows two main avenues, both of which are being pursued by research workers in Dr. Steve Wratten's group at Southampton University. One technique involves the lowering of pesticide inputs into the crop. Research in this area concentrates on producing accurate, user-friendly forecasting systems, and on assessing the effectiveness of using reduced rates of selective and broad-spectrum insecticides.
The second area of research involves manipulating the field and field boundary environment to maximise its suitability for natural enemies of aphids (the most important pests of arable crops in the UK), and thus to enhance the population of these beneficial species in the field.