Biological control, the management of pests by the use of living organisms, has a long history of application to agriculture around the world. However, the effective use of beneficial organisms is constrained by environmental, legal, and economic restrictions, forcing researchers to adopt increasingly multi-disciplinary techniques in order to deploy successful biological control programs. It is this complex process, including the mindset and the social environment of the researcher as well as the science being pursued, that this book seeks to capture. Chapters reveal the personal experiences of scientists from the initial search for suitable control agents, to their release into ecosystems and finally to the beneficial outcomes which demonstrate the great success of biological control across diverse agro-ecosystems.
Drawing together historical perspectives and approaches used in the development of biological control as well as outlining current debates surrounding terminology and differential techniques, Biological Control: A Global Perspective will be a valuable resource.