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      • Contrappunto House of Books Literary Agency

        Contrappunto House Of Books accompanies its authors in every aspect of their publishing journey: review and editing of the manuscript, negotiation with potential publishers, promotion, press and communication office. Thanks to its professional staff, the company covers the entire publishing chain, providing authors with a path that combines the creative aspect of writing with editorial and commercial ones. Contrappunto House Of Books goes beyond the traditional concept of a literary agency, working on the development of the Personal Branding of each author. The Agency also works along with publishers on the promotion of their catalogs, enhancing the "mission" of each brand. From the work on the text to that of promotion, from the organization of events to the participation in book fairs, Contrappunto traces an original path for each individual author.

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      • Trusted Partner
        September 2024

        Entomopathogenic Nematodes as Biological Control Agents

        by David I Shapiro-llan, Edwin Lewis, Steven P. Arthurs, Anil Baniya, Rubén Blanco-Pérez, Mary Barbercheck, Helge Bode, Raquel Campos Herrera, Julie G. Chacon-Orozco, Harun Cimen, Regina K. Cruzado Gutiérrez, Surendra K. Dara, Adler Dillman, Larry Duncan, Ioannis Eleftherianos, Shane Foye, Patrick Frettinger, Fernando Garcia-del-Pino, Itamar Glazer, John Goolsby, Dawn Gouge, Parwinder S Grewal, Richou Han, Sebnem Hazal Gulsen, Canan Hazir, Selcuk Hazir, Ivan Hiltpold, Ganpati B. Jagdale, Rinus Knoetze, Albrecht Koppenhofer, Gabriela Lankin, Luis Garrigós Leite, Diana Karime Londono, Antoinette P. Malan, Dana Ment, Jayashree Ramakrishnan, Gadi V P Reddy, Cesar Rodriguez-Saona, Weibin Ruan, Michael Samish, Ernesto San-Blas, Ramandeep Kaur Sandhi, Ana Luiza Sousa, Tatyana Stefanovska, Glen Stevens, S. Patricia Stock, Yoelvis Sulbaran, Ghada Tafesh-Edwards, Mustapha Touray, Stefan Toepfer, Derya Ulug, Bart Vandenbossche, Christopher Williams, Sheng-Yen Wu, Xun Yan

        Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) are biocontrol agents that are used to control a wide variety of insect pests within agriculture and forestry. In addition to their use as bio-pesticides, EPNs have a fascinating biology and are thus considered model organisms in ecology, symbiosis and pathogenesis. This book presents basic knowledge and diverse applications to illustrate how EPNs play an important role as potent biocontrol solutions. It describes: Fundamental concepts such as biology, taxonomy, symbiosis genomics and behavioural ecology. Aspects of commercialization, including mass production, formulation, safety and regulation, and marketing. Diverse cropping systems e.g. maize, wheat and grains, citrus, orchard systems, berries, vine crops, vegetables and turf. Other applications including urban, nursery, forestry, greenhouse, veterinary and medical. Ecological considerations and applications in conservation biocontrol. This book is a must have for all pest management professionals including those practicing integrated pest management strategies.

      • Trusted Partner
        Technology, Engineering & Agriculture
        April 2018

        Urban Pest Control

        A Practitioner's Guide

        by Partho Dhang

        This guide brings together the varied and multiple skills and activities required of pest control practitioners, including biology, chemistry, architecture, engineering, sales, logistics, legal and accounting, presented with a primary emphasis on pest organisms at its core. This book provides information and tips on all of these aspects and: explores the business of controlling pests (including trends in the industry, pest control tools, and sustainable pest control); covers biological information on each pest in addition to information on control and management, monitoring and follow-up; focusses particularly on globally significant pests with internationally-applicable use and guidance; and provides practical and hands-on experience, drawing on original case studies This is a key resource for pest control practitioners, as well as in-house staff of companies or buildings involved in household or urban pest control. It is also a valuable reference for researchers, and sanitation and building managers.

      • Trusted Partner
        September 2020

        Insect Pest Management

        by David R Dent, Richard H Binks

        This new, third edition has been thoroughly updated to include all the key principles, methodologies, approaches and practical examples of insect pest management in agriculture, horticulture, medical and veterinary entomology. The book covers monitoring and forecasting of pest outbreaks, yield loss and impact assessments and all of the latest methods involved in the control and management of insects. It includes coverage of host manipulation, plant resistance, biological control, use of interference, agronomic precision control methods and insecticides as well as socio-economic and research management aspects of developing integrated approaches to pest management. The new edition also reflects the key advances made in the disciplines of molecular biology, biochemistry and genomics related to insects and their management. It also considers the importance and role of biodiversity, climate change, precision agriculture, data management and sustainability of production and supply in delivering integrated management solutions. This important text continues to be essential reading for students, researchers and industry scientists involved in all aspects of insect pest management, applied entomology, crop protection and medical and veterinary entomology.

      • Trusted Partner
        Science & Mathematics
        May 2020

        Optical Manipulation of Pests and Beneficial Arthropods

        by David Ben-Yakir, Antoine Abrieux, Joanna C. Chiu, Joseph E. Funderbunk, Daphna Gottlieb, Gábor Horváth, Simcha Lev-Yadun, Un Taek Lim, Xavier Martini, Masami Shimoda, Robert van Tol

        Arthropod pests, pollinators, and natural enemies of pests have a great economic importance to human health and food supply worldwide. Arthropods use optical cues to find food and suitable oviposition sites, daily and seasonal activities, orientation and navigation. Most arthropods have compound eyes with receptors for UV light (peak sensitivity at 360 nm) and for green-yellow light (peak sensitivity at 520-540 nm). Many arthropods also have simple eyes (ocelli) that respond to changes in light intensity. Some arthropods can detect linearly polarized light and use it as an optical cue for oviposition sites, finding of hosts and navigation.The properties of the optical cue, such as wavelength, intensity, polarization, size, shape and contrast, greatly affect their response to the optical cue. Therefore, manipulation of optical cues can interfere or enhance arthropods' activities and development. UV light has been used to attract insects for monitoring and control. The patterns of UV reflected from flowers and plants affect arthropods' preference to visit them. The absence of UV light often deters arthropods and decreases their dispersal rate. UVB induces general stress in plants which may increase their resistance to arthropod pests. Green-yellow color induces landing and favors settling (arresting) of many plant feeding arthropods. High levels of reflected sunlight (above 25% of sun radiation) deters arthropods' landing and reduces settling. The recent use of monochromatic lights to increase crop yield, or to induce desirable plant characteristics, is expected to affect the activity of the associated arthropds as well. Optical manipulations are proposed as a part of an integrated pest management (IPM) program for open-field and protected crops, and for protecting the health of humans and domestic animals. This book contains up-to-date reviews of the published literature, some unpublished results of the authors, and suggestions for future research and development of this method.

      • Trusted Partner
        Science & Mathematics
        March 2022

        Key Questions in Urban Pest Management

        A Study and Revision Guide

        by Partho Dhang, Philip Koehler, Roberto Pereira, Daniel D Dye II

        Urban pests are common all over the world. These include cockroaches, flies, mosquitoes, bed bugs, ticks, fleas, ants, termites, rodents and others. These pests thrive in human structures, where there is food, warmth and places to hide. Urban pests are one of the leading causes of illnesses in humans due to allergies, bites, food contamination and phobias. They can also cause significant damage to property and structures. Knowledge and training in this field is vital for professional and trainee pest managers. This book is specifically intended to provide an aid to such candidates. The book contains 500 multiple-choice questions (and answers) grouped into the following major topic areas: · The history of urban entomology · Household pests · Cockroaches · Flies · Mosquitoes · Bed bugs · Termites · Sporadic pests · Stored product pests · Vertebrate pests · Pesticides and pesticide formulations · Handling pesticides · Integrated Pest Control Produced in a convenient format that can be used at any time in any place, the book allows the reader to learn and revise the subject and much more. Its structure allows the study of one topic area at a time, progressing through a simple introduction followed by key revision questions, many of which require students to use their practical knowledge. The answers to each of the questions are provided at the end with short explanations wherever appropriate.

      • Trusted Partner
        Science & Mathematics
        March 2022

        Encyclopedia of Scale Insect Pests

        by Takumasa Kondo, Gillian Watson

        Scale insects feed on plant juices and can easily be transported to new countries on live plants. They sometimes become invasive pests, costing billions of dollars in damage to crops worldwide annually, and farmers try to control them with toxic pesticides, risking environmental damage. Fortunately, scale insects are highly susceptible to control by natural enemies so biological control is possible. They have unique genetic systems, unusual metamorphosis, a broad spectrum of essential symbionts, and some are sources of commercial products like red dyes, shellac and wax. There is, therefore, wide interest in these unusual, destructive, beneficial, and abundant insects. The Encyclopedia of Scale Insect Pests is the most comprehensive work on worldwide scale insect pests, providing detailed coverage of the most important species (230 species in 26 families, 36% of the species known). Advice is provided on collection, preservation, slide-mounting, vouchering, and labelling of specimens, fully illustrated with colour photographs, diagrams and drawings. Pest species are presented in two informal groups of families, the 'primitive' Archaeococcids followed by the more 'advanced' Neococcids, covered in phylogenetic order. Each family is illustrated and diagnosed based on features of live and slide-mounted specimens, with information on numbers of genera and species, main hosts, distribution, and biology. For the important pest species, coverage includes information on the morphology of live and slide-mounted specimens, common names, principal synonyms, geographical distribution, plant hosts, plant damage and economic impact, reproductive biology, dispersal, and management strategies including biological, cultural and chemical control, sterile insect techniques, regulatory control, early warning systems and field monitoring. An additional complete list of scale insect pests worldwide is provided, comprising 642 species in 28 scale insect families (about 8% of the 8396 species of living scales known), with information on plant hosts, geographical distribution and validation sources. Beneficial uses of scale insects as sources of red dyes, natural resins and waxes, as agents for invasive weed control. The importance of their honeydew to bees for making honey, and as a food source to other animals, are included. Academic researchers, students, entomologists, pest management officials in agribusiness or government including plant quarantine identifiers, extensionists, farmers, field scientists and ecologists will all benefit from this book.

      • Trusted Partner
        September 2024

        Arthropod Management and Landscape Considerations in Large-Scale Agroecosystems

        by Michael J Brewer, Gary L. Hein, Kristen Baum, Mahendra Bhandari, Haley Butler, Hannalene du Plessis, Norman C. Elliott, Peter C Ellsworth, Sarah Elzay, Isaac L. Esquivel, Ashleigh M. Faris, Aaron J. Gassmann, Kristopher L Giles, Maura Hall, Louis S. Hesler, Anders S. Huseth, William D. Hutchison, Ian MacRae, Robert L. Meagher, Jr, Lance J. Meinke, Steven E. Naranjo, Matthew O'Neal, Shannon L. Osborne, Pankaj Pal, Katherine A. Parys, Dominic Reisig, Tom A Royer, Nina Rudin, Thomas W. Sappington, Gregory A. Sword, Ashley E. Tessnow, Paul A. Umina, Johnnie van den Berg

        For large-scale agroecosystems, patterns of pest population increases (graded increases or abrupt outbreaks) and declines (graded suppression or abrupt crashes) vary considerably and are influenced by factors within crop fields and across broader landscape scales. Better understanding of pest population dynamics and the implications of spatial interactions on the function and development of pest management approaches are the main themes of this important book. The book builds from a 60+ year history of field-based pest management by focusing on the drivers of pest management in large-scale agroecosystems and the landscape-scale processes that affect these drivers and contribute to variation in pest outbreaks and suppression. These drivers include abiotic and biotic influences such as weather, spatial composition and arrangement of landscape elements, and widely applied managed inputs such as planting and crop rotation schedules, crop varietal selection, and land and soil conservation efforts. The book introduces general concepts, opportunities, and challenges of arthropod management in large-scale agroecosystems. Case studies from major field crop-based agroecosystems are used to present research approaches and improve understanding and management of pest and beneficial insects in large-scale agroecosystems. Specific research findings are provided on multi-trophic interactions within the system as influenced by climate, landscape, and other ecological, agricultural, and social/economic components of the agroecosystem. The book concludes with a synthesis of these concepts and prospectus for future research and developments in arthropod management in large-scale, plant-based agroecosystems. The book is essential reading for researchers in applied entomology and ecology and for pest management practitioners.

      • Trusted Partner
        Botany & plant sciences
        July 2007

        Heat Treatments for Postharvest Pest Control

        Theory and Practice

        by Edited by Juming Tang, Elizabeth Mitcham, Shaojin Wang, Susan Lurie

        Due to the nature of agricultural commodities as carriers of exotic pests, importing countries have employed varying methods of pest control for postharvest products. Thermal treatments are emerging as effective, environmentally-friendly alternatives to traditional methods, eliminating chemical residues and minimizing damage to produce. This book provides comprehensive information of these increasingly important treatments, covering temperature measurement, heat transfer, physiological responses of plants, insects and pathogens to heat, and an introduction to current and potential quarantine treatments based on hot air, hot water, and radio frequency energy.

      • Trusted Partner
        Environmental factors
        May 2015

        Rodent Pests and Their Control

        by Edited by Alan P Buckle, Robert H Smith.

        The most numerous of the world's invasive species, rodent pests have a devastating impact on agriculture, food, health and the environment. In the last two decades, the science and practice of rodent control has faced new legislation on rodenticides, the pests' increasing resistance to chemical control and the impact on non-target species, bringing a new dimension to this updated 2nd edition and making essential reading for all those involved in rodent pest control, including researchers, conservationists, practitioners and public health specialists.

      • Trusted Partner
        October 2024

        Chalcidoidea of the World

        by John Heraty, James Woolley, Austin Baker, Hannes Baur, Julie Böhmová, Matthew L. Buffington, Roger A.Burks, Matthew Cock, Astrid Cruaud, Ana Dal Molin, Natalie Dale-Skey, Christopher Darling, Gerard Delvare, Priscila G. Dias, Tiffany Domer, Chrysalyn Dominguez, Fernando H.A. Farache, Lucian Fusu, Michael W. Gates, Marco Gebiola, Alex V. Gumovsky, Michael Haas, Paul Hanson, Christer Hansson, Judith Herreid, Keith Hopper, J T Huber, Martha Hunter, Randa Jabbour, Petr Janšta, Robert Luke Kresslein, Lars Krogmann, Amelia Lindsey, Kerry E. Mauck, Mircea-Dan Mitroiu, Jason L. Mottern, José Luis Nieves-Aldrey, John S Noyes, Ryan K. Perry, Ralph Peters, John Pinto, Andrew Polaszek, Alexey A. Polilov, Jean-Yves Rasplus, Javier Torréns, Serguei V. Triapitsyn, Jonah M. Ulmer, Roy G. Van Driesche, Simon van Noort, Ionela-Madalina Viciriuc, Jack Werren, Rachel L. Winston, Y. Miles Zhang

        The superfamily Chalcidoidea (the jewel wasps) are part of the insect order Hymenoptera. The superfamily comprises more than 27,000 known species, with an estimated total diversity of more than 500,000 species, meaning that the vast majority have yet to be discovered and described. Most of the species are parasitoids, attacking the egg, larval stage or pupal stage of their host, though many other life cycles are known including gall associates and fig pollinators. This landmark volume has been co-authored by world authorities on the systematics and biology of chalcidoid wasps. It provides an introduction to the superfamily, a review of chalcidoid morphology, an overview of the fossil record, a phylogenetic framework for the revised classification of the superfamily, an identification key for the 50 recognized families, and detailed treatments of the individual families. The book consolidates much recent research on the phylogenomics of Chalcidoidea and the fossil record. This research has resulted in substantial changes to their classification, and in a review of all families, the new family groups are presented to the general scientific public for the first time. The book is an historic milestone, presenting a reclassification of the superfamily and a synthesis of knowledge on all aspects of Chalcidoidea that will serve for generations to come. Individual chapters clarify the limits of families and subfamilies based on contemporary phylogenetic studies. These chapters provide for each family: diagnostic features and extensively illustrated details of their specialized morphology, summaries of their distribution and worldwide diversity, a history of their classification history and major workers, phylogenetic relationships, natural history, use in biological control and economic impact, fossil history, and fully illustrated identification keys to subfamilies or in some cases to genera. Additional chapters present best practices for collecting, rearing from hosts, and preservation, review digital resources currently available, explore the diversity of their natural history and their human impacts, such as their use and importance to biological and natural control of pest arthropods. Chapters by worldwide authorities explore the enormous biological diversity of chalcidoid wasps including consequences of their almost unbelievable miniaturization (the most extreme known in insects), relationships with endosymbionts, special aspects of genetics, genomics, evolutionary biology and development, and brief accounts of the most significant chalcidoid researchers that have passed. For many years to come this important book will serve the needs of hymenopterists and professional entomologists, taxonomists and systematists, entomologists working on parasitic wasps as biological control agents, and ecologists working on parasite-host interactions.

      • Trusted Partner
        December 2021

        Pest Management in Cotton

        A Global Perspective

        by Graham A. Matthews, Thomas A. Miller, Zeeshan Ahmed

        This book presents a global overview of the background to, and the current state of, crop protection and pest management in cotton crops. Cotton is one of the most economically important crops in the world and has been grown for centuries but maintaining high yields of good quality requires sophisticated approaches to pest management. The introduction and use of pesticides over the decades significantly increased cotton yields but lead to many adverse environmental impacts. Over time, new and alternative insecticides were developed but overuse has enabled pests to develop significant resistance. The development of genetically modified cotton varieties with toxins derived from Bacillus thuringiensis enabled much improved control of lepidopteran larvae, including bollworms, but as the toxins had no effect on sucking pests, farmers had no choice but to continue using insecticides. Also, some of the new cotton varieties developed in recent times have not adapted to different climatic conditions and the quality of cotton fibre declined as a result. This book shows the need for more research to select cotton varieties with high quality fibres suitable for different cotton growing areas and to develop integrated pest management strategies to minimise the use of pesticides. It also demonstrates the need for an inter-disciplinary approach bringing together plant breeders, entomologists, plant pathologists, agronomists and agricultural engineers to achieve high yields of high quality cotton. In the future, farmers will need to adopt new technology to determine when and how pesticides are used in conjunction with cultural and biological control strategies. · Emphasises the importance of research on growing cotton in a world experiencing climate change · Demonstrates how crucial crop protection is in achieving high yields of high quality cotton · Shows how new technology will bring major changes in how cotton is grown in the future

      • Trusted Partner
        Science & Mathematics
        November 2024

        The Handbook of Mites of Stored Products

        by Vincenzo Vacante, Carlos Holger Wenzel Flechtmann

        Storage mites are common pests of stored food and other processed agricultural products and an infestation can occur at any point throughout the supply chain. Their presence is associated with serious hygienic implications and economic loss and can be harmful to the health of humans and animals. This book provides a comprehensive and up-to-date study of mites associated with these products, covering core concerns including the mites of cheese, ham and sausages, mushrooms and vegetable fibres. Numerous species belonging to different families are described and illustrated in addition to the inclusion of general chapters on: - Systems of Acari - Classification of mites of stored food - External and internal morphology - Bio-ecology - Collecting and detecting, preserving, preparing and rearing - Damage and control. Written by an experienced author within the field, this is an important resource for researchers, laboratory scientists and students involved in acarology, agricultural entomology, pest management, and food preservation, science and safety.

      • Trusted Partner
        Humanities & Social Sciences
        March 2017

        Air power and colonial control

        by David Omissi

        Air policing was used in many colonial possessions, but its most effective incidence occurred in the crescent of territory from north-eastern Africa, through South-West Arabia, to North West Frontier of India. This book talks about air policing and its role in offering a cheaper means of 'pacification' in the inter-war years. It illuminates the potentialities and limitations of the new aerial technology, and makes important contributions to the history of colonial resistance and its suppression. Air policing was employed in the campaign against Mohammed bin Abdulla Hassan and his Dervish following in Somaliland in early 1920. The book discusses the relationships between air control and the survival of Royal Air Force in Iraq and between air power and indirect imperialism in the Hashemite kingdoms. It discusses Hugh Trenchard's plans to substitute air for naval or coastal forces, and assesses the extent to which barriers of climate and geography continued to limit the exercise of air power. Indigenous responses include being terrified at the mere sight of aircraft to the successful adaptation to air power, which was hardly foreseen by either the opponents or the supporters of air policing. The book examines the ethical debates which were a continuous undercurrent to the stream of argument about repressive air power methods from a political and operational perspective. It compares air policing as practised by other European powers by highlighting the Rif war in Morocco, the Druze revolt in Syria, and Italy's war of reconquest in Libya.

      • Trusted Partner
        August 2023

        Parasitism and Parasitic Control in Animals

        Strategies for the Developing World

        by Hafiz Muhammad Rizwan, Muhammad Sohail Sajid

        Parasitism and Parasitic Control in Animals brings together all the details needed to appropriately manage parasites in domestic animals. It provides comprehensive coverage of parasites and factors affecting their transmission, principles of parasite control, diagnosis, and assessment of parasitological information. Beginning with an overview of the fundamentals of parasitism including a review of the parasites of zoonotic importance, the text then: - Covers a range of methods for effective parasite control, including chemotherapy, nutrition, pasture management, selective breeding, vaccination and more; - Considers drug resistance and parasitic infections; - Includes cattle, buffalo, sheep, goat, horses, donkeys, dogs, cats, poultry, pigs and fish, as well as wild animals in the context of intermediate hosts, vectors or as reservoirs of infection. With numerous new case histories and maps showing the spread of anthelmintic resistance, this textbook forms an essential guide for veterinary practitioners, students and technicians. It is also an invaluable resource for parasitologists, researchers, animal health professionals and anyone working with these parasites in developing countries.

      • Trusted Partner
        December 2023

        Biology and Management of the Formosan Subterranean Termite and Related Species

        by Nan-Yao Su, Chow-Yang Lee, Lauren Davies, Thomas Chouvenc, J. Kenneth Grace, Claudia Husseneder, Shuji Itakura, Hou-Feng Li, Nathan Lo, Kok-Boon Neoh, Wakako Ohmura, Faith M. Oi, Rudolf H. Scheffrahn, Qian Sun, Gaku Tokuda, Edward L. Vargo, Chia-Chien Wu, Koichi Yamamoto

        The Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus, is the most destructive and invasive termite species globally. It is also the only termite species listed in the world's 100 worst invasive alien species of the Global Invasive Species Database. Annually, its infestation costs more than $4 billion in control and damage repairs in the USA alone. This book is the first comprehensive resource drawing on all the literature on C. formosanus since Tokuichi Shiraki first described the species in 1909. The book covers the worldwide distribution of this species, its biogeography, and how it has dispersed from its native range in southern China and Taiwan to different parts of the world. It describes its present taxonomic status and discusses the species' biology, ecology, foraging behavior, physiology, chemical ecology and its association with symbionts. From a practical standpoint, the authors address all of the various management options for this species, such as baits, soil termiticides, wood preservatives, inspection and detection technologies, and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approaches. Lastly, there are chapters dedicated to another important destructive species, Coptotermes gestroi (the Asian subterranean termite), and the recently discovered C. formosanus/C. gestroi hybrids. This important book is an essential and valuable reference for researchers, graduate students, pest management professionals, chemical manufacturer personnel, building and property managers, and others. It provides readers with a comprehensive understanding of the biology and management of the Formosan subterranean termite and the Asian subterranean termite.

      • Trusted Partner
        December 2024

        Practical Control of Mosquitoes as Disease Vectors

        by Jacques Derek Charlwood, Carla A Sousa, Perran Ross, Marta Maia, Gabriel Carrasco-Escobar, Amir Galili, Lucy Tusting, Annold Mbando, Kevin Kobylinski, Carlos Chaccour, Jan E. Conn, Manuela Herrera-Varela, Robert T. Jones, Emmanuel Kaindoa, Kimberly Fornace, Edgar Manrique, Louisa A. Messenger, Meir Morag, Marta Moreno, Fredros Okumu, Joao Pinto

        Disease vector control is rapidly changing, both because of the emergence of resistance to conventional methods and the development of new and potentially game-changing techniques. This book reviews several current and future measures for controlling mosquito vectors of disease, with an emphasis on malaria vectors. Beginning with an introduction to the topic of mosquito ecology and sampling methods, the book then covers several vector-borne disease control methods. The emphasis in many of these methods is for the sufferers of the diseases to take charge of their monitoring and control. Tackling the problems facing mosquito control, the authors review the important issues of education, economic considerations and climate change before concluding with a consideration of the politics and practicalities of method choice and implementation. This book is a thought-provoking concise and practical resource for anyone interested in primary healthcare and tackling or studying mosquito disease vectors.

      • Trusted Partner
        Insecticide & herbicide technology
        June 2003

        Biological Control in IPM Systems in Africa

        by Edited by Peter Neuenschwander, Christian Borgemeister, Jurgen Langewald

        Biological control has made a major contribution to integrated pest management (IPM) in Africa, but its documentation has been scattered and often under-reported. This book provides a review of the most important studies, including not only successes, but also on-going challenges. The focus is on arthropod pests and weeds, but diseases are also covered where significant. In 24 chapters, case studies and promising research results are presented that cover biocontrol by naturally occurring agents, by exotic agents or by seasonal manipulation. This book provides a valuable resource for scientists worldwide. It is particularly useful for pest control professionals working in Africa.

      • Trusted Partner
        May 2024

        The Concept of Ecostacking

        Techniques and Applications

        by Jinjun Wang, Huai Liu, Ingeborg Menzler-Hokkanen, Hongbo Jiang, Heikki M.T. Hokkanen, Ingeborg Menzler-Hokkanen

        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 main focus of ecostacking is on maximizing ecosystem services for biological control and pollination from beneficial arthropods, but the approach also utilizes other invertebrates (e.g., earthworms) as well as beneficial vertebrates such as bats, birds and small mammals. Microbes also provide invaluable ecosystem services including pest, disease, and weed control, either directly as components of "suppressive soils" or as plant colonizers (as endophytes or as epiphytic microbial flora). The ecostacking approach also aims to maximize other nature-provided services such as maintenance of soil health and nutrient cycling. 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: · will serve as inspiration for developing further applications of this breakthrough technology for sustainable agricultural production. · is a must-read for everyone with an interest in developing sustainable crop protection systems and ecosystem management. · has been written and edited by the world's leading experts in this new and exciting endeavour.

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