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Biological pest control of insect pests that threaten tree health - BIPESCO
Led by Professor Tariq Butt, Swansea University
A number of insects pose a threat to UK trees and plant biosecurity. The Tree Health and Plant Biosecurity Expert Taskforce set up by government recently recommended that the UK develops and implements ways to predict, monitor and control the spread of pests.
BIPESCO is an interdisciplinary project that will use botanicals and biocontrol with entomopathogenic fungi (EPF), fungi which kill or seriously disable insects, to kill and control insect pests that pose a threat to UK trees. BIPESCO will develop these natural alternatives to conventional chemical pesticides, of which usage is being severely restricted.
The aim of BIPESCO is to identify the strains of EPF that are most pathogenic to current and emergent pest species to utilise as efficient control, alongside botanicals that attract or repel target pests. The researchers will use botanicals to concentrate the pests and expose them to EPF and other agents in "lure and kill" and "stress and kill" strategies, increasing knowledge of the underlying mechanisms involved in control. BIPESCO’s outputs will offer environmentally friendly, sustainable methods of pest control, benefitting many sectors directly and indirectly.
This project is in partnership with Fera and Forest Research (Project participants).
Congratulations to Prof. Tariq Butt and all of the team that organized the meeting. This meeting included an impressive mix of representatives from a wide range of commercial, government, regulatory and research organizations. There were 52 excellent presentation over three days (7-9th September 2015) and a large poster session. Session topics included: Biopesticides – new solutions for old problems Behaviour modifying chemicals – major players in future pest control programmes The agent is not all – new production and formulation strategies for biopesticides New pest control strategies – optimizing impact Specific control strategies for different crops – are there general lessons to be learnt? No risks of biocontrol strategies? Assessment and potential mitigation strategies Invasive threats - Predicting the future Workshop and Poster session. Workshop provides training and showcases products. Funding opportunities for business development and research Networking session: opportunities to develop formal and informal collaborative links. There was much discussion about the potential for new pests and diseases to affect the UK with increased travel and movement of plants and soil together with the effects of climate change. The difficulties with replicating the success of laboratory experiments in killing pests, in the field and also problems with the regulations for Biopesticides, their use and commercial production ready for market were also common themes. We heard from several companies that do have successful commercial products in addition to researchers investigating the specific biological mechanisms and environmental constraints on the use of biopesticide products. The control organisms frequently mentioned included entomopathic fungi metarhizium and beauveria species, while difficult to deal with pests included wireworms, aphids, fruit flies and moths. The effects on food crops such as potatoes, tomatoes, strawberries and arable crops but attempts to control midges (of particular concern in Scotland) and other insects that carry human and animal diseases were also described. Botanicals, such as essential oils, that act as a lure for insect pests or to repel them, look to be increasingly useful in the future. Jill Thompson BIPESCO is holding a conference at Swansea University 6-9 September 2015 - everyone welcome See information and to register
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