Growers and advisers gathered at the 2022 Biocontrols USA conference as biological products and beneficial organisms gained a larger role in specialty-crop pest management. Interest is driven by resistance, residue limits, worker safety and the need for more selective tools.
Biological control includes several approaches
Predatory mites, parasitoids and beneficial insects attack pests directly. Microbial products use bacteria, fungi or viruses, while biochemical products can disrupt behaviour or development. Each has a narrower operating range than a broad-spectrum pesticide, which is both an advantage and a management challenge.
Correct identification is essential. A product effective against one life stage or species may do little against another. Temperature, humidity, sunlight, water quality and application timing affect survival and performance. Some organisms need preventive release before pest numbers are obvious.
Build a compatible program
Biological controls work best within integrated pest management: monitor, use cultural and sanitation measures, conserve resident natural enemies and apply a targeted control when thresholds justify it. Pesticide residues can kill introduced beneficials, so compatibility and the interval between products must be checked.
Growers should trial a new tool on a manageable area, record pest and beneficial populations, and compare total program cost with crop quality and marketability. Supplier support and clear storage instructions are important because living products can lose viability.
The next step for biocontrol is not simply more products. It is better decision support so growers know when a biological is likely to establish, which conventional tools remain compatible and how success will be measured.
Read Growing Produce’s Biocontrols USA conference report.