Optimal placements of biocontrol agents for the best results

摘要

Parasitic wasps are integral to biocontrol programs in greenhouse crops. Important examples include several Aphidius species and Encarsia formosa that are used for management of aphids and whiteflies, respectively. Efficient foraging or location of prey by these wasps contributes to their success as biocontrol agents. However, in greenhouse crops where initial pest infestations are isolated or occur in patches, location and suppression of such areas by parasitic wasps may not occur in a timely fashion. Timeliness is key for growers, considering, for example, that aphid populations can increase at a rate of about 12 times each week under greenhouse conditions, depending on temperatures. Users of biocontrol agents can assist them for more timely control by placing them as strategically as possible within the crop. To demonstrate the importance of optimal placements, this article focuses on dispersal by Aphidius colemani and Trichogramma species.