The book provides a reference to biological control of arthropod pests in agriculture and of public health importance in Iran. A quick glance over the literature shows a long history of biocontrol attempts in the country. Some historically important events highlighting the interest of Iranian academic, research and extension fields to the natural enemies and their applied aspects are provided. Iran, with an exception of the former USSR, was a pioneer in both basic and applied biocontrol in West Asia. The book consists of four parts: three parts for predators, parasitoids and pathogens, and last part for other approaches and analyses of the current state of biological control in Iran. The book provides the most up-to-date information on pest control and related topics of entomology in Iran. The chapters are written by scholars from major Universities and research centers in Iran.

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Date palm, Phoenix dactylifera L. (Arecales: Arecaceae), is an important palm species cultivated in the arid regions of the world since pre-historic times and traditionally associated with the life and culture of the people in the Middle-East and North Africa which are the pre-dominant date palm growing regions worldwide. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN estimates that there are over 100 million date palms with an annual production of over 7.5 million tonnes A recent report on the arthropod fauna of date palm, enlists 112 species of insects and mites associated with date palm worldwide including 22 species attacking stored dates. Enhanced monoculture of date palm in several date palm growing countries coupled with climate change, unrestrained use of chemical insecticides and extensive international trade is likely to impact the pest complex and the related natural enemies in the date agro-ecosystems. In view of the importance of date palm as an emerging crop of the future and the need to develop and deploy ecologically sound and socially acceptable IPM techniques, this book aims to comprehensively address issues related to the biology and sustainable management of major insect and mite pests of date palm by assessing the current IPM strategies available, besides addressing emerging challenges and future research priorities. The issues pertaining to the role of semiochemicals in date palm IPM involving new strategies revolving around “attract and kill” and “push-pull” technologies, phytoplasmas and their insect vectors with implications for date palm, innovative methods for managing storage pests of dates and knowledge gaps in devicing sustainable strategies for the management of red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier) are also addressed

This book analyses the mass production and application of biological control products for biotic and abiotic factors affecting agricultural production. It also describes how to develop sustainable agriculture under Egyptian conditions. The book is divided into four parts covering: 1) mass production of parasitoids, insects and mite predators, 2) mass production of the microbial control agents for managing insect pests, 3) biocontrol products for plant diseases, and 4) bioproducts against abiotic factors. It discusses various methods of controlling insect pests and plant diseases in order to increase agricultural production, improve the quality of field crops and reduce the food gap by applying a range of technologies. This book helps increase our understanding and awareness of how to produce healthy products for local consumption and utilization as well as for exports.

This text presents an up-to-date account of the soft-scale insects, "Coccidae", and covers almost the entire spectrum of the knowledge of this insect family. It is divided into three sections, covering: soft scale insects; their natural enemies; and damage and control.

Ecostacking is a new concept and approach which aims to maximize the benefits of ecosystem service providers in cropping systems to help achieve the goal of long-term sustainable agriculture and food production. The term "ecostacking" means combining synergistically the beneficial services of functional biodiversity from all levels and types. It is a comprehensive approach, where the various ecosystem service providers are fully integrated with the rest of the cropping system including agronomic practices. It is an approach which goes beyond conventional Integrated Pest Management practises, and attempts to take advantage of all the functional biodiversity of a system. The Concept of Ecostacking is the first book in a series which introduces ecostacking concepts to the reader and explores how this approach can be used in a variety of ways and in different cropping systems. The book defines this new concept and shows, using illustrative case studies from around the world, how ecostacking principles can be successfully employed in cropping systems in the open field, in greenhouses and in forestry. This book has been written and edited by the world's leading experts in this new and exciting endeavour, and is a must-read for everyone with an interest in developing sustainable crop protection systems and ecosystem management.

Pests cause economic damage to crops and stored products, while vectors are responsible for the transmission of disease-causing agents in human beings and livestock. Although the application of synthetic pesticides in agriculture has given immediate relief, it has also caused well-known side effects, leading to a general consensus among entomologists and agriculturists to shift towards other ecofriendly pest management. Insect natural enemies consisting of predators, parasitoids, and pathogens have attracted the attention of scientists across the globe. These natural enemies exist in agroecosystems and suppress the populations of pests. Parasitoids are farmers’ friends and the most successful group of natural enemies. Highly specialised in their host choice, the female parasitoid searches for a suitable host to lay eggs and larvae in, on or near the hosts. Exploiting this potency of parasitoids may yield successful results in controlling notorious pests in an ecofriendly way. This book covers information on the important biocontrol agents effective in pest suppression. It starts with insect parasitic groups followed by specific groups of parasitoids. It is hoped that the book presents a comprehensive account of beneficial parasitoirds, and will be useful to undergraduate and postgraduate students of Entomology, Biological Control, Plant Protection, Agricultural Zoology, and Zoology, besides those involved in competitive examinations and policy planning. Features: Each chapter has been written by very experienced specialists Every chapter includes Learning Objectives and Points to Remember This book offers comprehensive knowledge of parasitoids and their application in pest management in a rational way