Research Briefings 1987 (1988) / Chapter Skim
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Report of the Research Briefing Panel on Biological Control in Managed Ecosystems
Report of the Research Briefing Panel on Biological Control in Managed Ecosystems
Pages 55-68
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Report of the Research Bneftug Panel on Biological Control in Managed Ecosystems
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, Reseach Leader, Root Disease and Biological Control Research Unit, USDA-ARSWashington State University, Pullman Lloyd Andres, Research Entomologist, USDA-ARS, Albany, Calif. Gustaaf A
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Biological control in managed ecosystems includes the manipulation and strategic introduction of organisms, genes, or gene products to influence the outcome of otherwise natural biological interactions in a manner favorable to humans. Major target pests of biological control are insects, mites, weeds, parasitic nematodes, rodents, and pathogens and their vectors.
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Recombinant DNA techniques enable scientists to understand the mechanisms of biological control at the molecular level in ways previously not possible. Understanding the genes and gene products important to biological control opens the way for the genetic alteration of the agents carrying these genes, for the production of more useful transgenic biological control agents, and for deriving improved practices to enhance biological control.
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, a host plant or animal we seek to protect whose defense mechanisms have been enhanced through management or genetic manipulation, and the pest's natural enemies and antagonists (the classic biological control agents)
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thuringiensis expressed in to bacco leaves for control of certain leaf-feeding caterpillarsa Genetic resistance to southern corn leaf blight in corn in the United States Genetic resistance to Hessian fly in wheat in the United States aExperimental stage only. nology will provide other new uses for other traditional biological control agents.
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pests. Moreover, in testing biological control agents to be used against weeds, the number of plant species that must be examined is increasing because of growing concern that the agent may also attack nontarget plant species.
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Thus far, there is no evidence that the control is likely to break down or cause any detrimental nontarget effects. RECENT ADVANCES IN RESEARCH ON BIOLOGICAL CONTROL NEW APPROACHES TO THE REGULATION OF PEST POPULATIONS Scientists are continuing to discover natural enemies of pests and to find better ways to track and favor these beneficial organisms.
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These types of potential biological control agents can be applied to seeds or other planting material and therefore represent significant opportunities for commercial development. Recent studies conducted in Australia, Canada, China, the Netherlands, and the United States reveal the potential of root-colonizing microorganisms to inhibit or displace pathogens at the root-soil interface and thereby protect the root health of perennial and annual plants.
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avoids any potential risks associated with the use of mild virus strains in the field. RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES The diversity of natural systems provides a wealth of potential biological control agents, including viruses, bacteria, and fungi.
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The pathogenic bacterium Pasteuria penetrans is one possible biological contro! agent for several economically important nematodes, but as for so many other potential biological control agents, there is no economic means to produce it on a large scale.
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it has many repositories of biological material with the raw germplasm to develop superior biological controls, including those with marketable components. The way is now clear in the United States for exclusive licensing of biological control agents by commercial firms, including agents developed in and patented by state or federal laboratories.
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The private sector, on the other hand, has generally been reluctant to invest in developing products for the narrow, specialized markets typical of so many biological controls. The problems for biological control development are compounded by regulatory issues and questions concerning the guidelines and protocols that must be followed, whether conducting basic research or testing biological control agents in the field.
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for the creation of guiclelines on the field testing of genetically engineered biological control agents. Regarding final registration, there is no evidence that biological control products developed using recombinant DNA technology will require regulation that is any different from those products developed via nonengineering processes.
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