Biological Control of Arthropod Pests in British Columbia Agriculture

这项倡议将解决不列颠哥伦比亚省农业部门在节肢动物害虫管理方面的研究需求。特别是，我们将开展利用节肢动物捕食者和寄生蜂对关键害虫物种进行生物防治的研究。昆虫和其他节肢动物害虫继续对不列颠哥伦比亚省的农业生产产生重大经济影响。新的害虫物种继续被引入农业，要么是通过与国际贸易有关的意外引进，要么是由于与气候变化有关的范围扩大。通过生物防治控制害虫为农业中使用化学杀虫剂提供了一种可持续的、基于生态的替代方案。杀虫业生产捕食性和寄生性节肢动物，用于害虫物种的生物防治。BC和国际公司大量种植生物防治产品，出售给温室和其他种植者。在这项计划中，将开发新的生物防治产品，并对现有产品进行优化，以改善对温室蔬菜生产中的两种关键害虫：番茄木虱和蚜虫的管理。这项工作将对不列颠哥伦比亚省的农业和杀虫业都有实质性的好处。我们预计将在该计划期间开发一种或多种新的生物防治产品，并优化现有产品的使用。我们还将开发分子生物学工具来鉴定蚜虫寄生虫。这些工具将用于促进温室生物防治的研究和实践。通过整个计划中温室和昆虫行业的直接参与，新产品和技术的技术转让将得到优化。

This initiative will address research needs of the British Columbia (BC) agricultural sector regarding management of arthropod pests. In particular, we will conduct research on the use of arthropod predators and parasitoids for biological control of key pest species. Insect and other arthropod pests continue to have substantial economic impact on agricultural production in BC. New pest species continue to be introduced into agriculture either through accidental introductions related to international trade, or as a consequence of range expansions associated with climate change. Management of pests via biological control provides a sustainable ecologically-based alternative to the use chemical pesticides in agriculture. The insectary industry produces predatory and parasitic arthropods used for biological control of pest species. BC and international companies mass rear biological control products for sale to greenhouse and other growers. In this program, new biological control products will be developed and existing products will be optimized to improve management of two key pests in greenhouse vegetable production: tomato psyllids and aphids. This work will have substantial benefits for both BC agriculture and the insectary industry. We anticipate the development of one or more new biological control products and optimization of the use of existing products during this program. We will also develop molecular-biology tools for aphid parasitois identification. These tools will be used to facilitate research and practice of bioligical control in greenhouses. Technology transfer of new products and technologies will be optimized by direct involvement of the greenhouse and insectary industries throughout the program.