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Title: Manipulation of arthropod pathogens for integrated pest management

Author
item Wraight, Stephen
item HAJEK, ANN - CORNELL UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/4/2007
Publication Date: 1/20/2009
Citation: Wraight, S.P., Hajek, A.E. 2009. Manipulation of arthropod pathogens for integrated pest management. Book Chapter. In: Radcliffe, E.B., Hutchison, W.D., Cancelado, R.E., editors. Integrated Pest Management:Concepts, Tactics, Strategies and Case Studies. New York: Cambridge University Press. p. 131-150.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: A great diversity of pathogenic microorganisms and nematodes has been developed for microbial biological control of insect and other arthropod pests. These control agents have many characteristics that determine their capacities to provide reliable pest control, and these characteristics must be taken into account to design effective microbial control methodologies and strategies. In this chapter we have outlined what we consider to be the most important traits of microbial control agents, including positive attributes of environmental safety, epizootic potential, mass production capacity, and compatibility with other biological/biorational control agents and negative attributes of slow lethal action, immobility of infectious propagules, environmental sensitivity, and low dose-response regression coefficients. We have explained how these various attributes affect microbial control efficacy and described many of the novel methods and strategies that have been devised to take advantage of positive attributes and minimize, circumvent, or compensate for negative attributes. In view of the general incapacity of most microbial control agents to consistently provide economically acceptable levels of pest control as stand-alone agents, we conclude that their greatest potential lies in their use as components of carefully conceived and fully executed IPM systems.