Biological Control of Arthropod Pests in British Columbia Agriculture

该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。重点开展节肢动物捕食者和拟寄生物对重点害虫的生物防治研究。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的经济影响。新的有害物种继续通过与国际贸易有关的偶然引进或作为与气候变化有关的范围扩大的结果引入农业。通过生物防治对害虫进行管理，为农业中化学农药的使用提供了一种可持续的、基于生态的替代方案。昆虫工业生产用于害虫生物防治的掠食性和寄生性节肢动物。不列颠哥伦比亚省和国际公司大量向温室和其他种植者出售后方生物防治产品。在该项目中，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主要害虫：番茄木虱和蚜虫的管理。这项工作将对不列颠哥伦比亚省农业和昆虫工业都有实质性的好处。我们预计在该计划期间将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。我们还将开发用于蚜虫寄生虫鉴定的分子生物学工具。这些工具将用于促进温室生物防治的研究和实践。新产品和新技术的技术转让将通过温室和昆虫产业在整个项目中的直接参与而得到优化。

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.