Biological and Biotechnological Control of Insect Pests

392 pages  ISBN 1566704790      £63.00

Pest and disease management continues to challenge the agricultural community. The rise in new pest and crop problems juxtaposed with public concern over pesticide use and more stringent environmental regulations creates the need for today's agricultural producers to stay current with new technologies for producing quality crops profitably. Biological and Biotechnological Control of Insect Pests presents an overview of alternative measures to traditional pest management practices, utilising biological control and biotechnology. The removal of some highly effective broad-spectrum chemicals, caused by concerns over environmental health and public safety, has resulted in the development of alternative, reduced risk crop protection products. These products, less toxic to the environment and easily integrated into biological control systems, target specific life stages or pest species. Predation - recognised as a suitable, long term strategy - effectively suppresses pests in biotechnological control systems. This book covers these topics and more. It explores the current approaches in alternative solutions such as: biological control agents, parasites and predators, pathogenic micro-organisms, pheromones, botanical insecticides, genetic control, genetic engineering of plants and biocontrol agents, and government regulations for biocontrol agents and recombinant DNA technology. This book will be a useful resource to entomologists, agronomists, horticulturists, and environmental scientists.

Contents

Table of Contents

Biological Control Agents
Parasitoids and Predators, D. Orr and C.P.-C. Suh
Microbial Insecticides, J. L. Flexner and D.L. Belnavis
Pheromones and Other Semiochemicals, D.M. Suckling and G. Karg
Botanical Insecticides, Soaps, and Oils, R.A. Weinzierl
Insect Growth Regulators, N.E. Beckage

Physiological Approaches
Genetic Control of Insect Pests, A.S. Robinson
Plant Resistance to Insects, C.M. Smith

Biotechnology
Genetic Engineering of Plants for Insect Resistance, J.A. Gatehouse and A.M.R. Gatehouse
Genetic Engineering of Biocontrol Agents for Insects, R.L. Harrison and B.C. Bonning Environmental Impact of Biotechnology, R.G. Shatters, Jr.

Regulation
Regulatory Aspects of Biological Control Agents and Products Derived by Biotechnology, J. T. McClintock, N.A.M. van Beek, J.L. Kough, M.L. Mendelsohn, and P.O. Hutton

Index