Advances in Biocontrol of Crop Insect Pests

Professor Travis Glare is CEO of Lincoln Agritech Ltd. and Professor of Applied Entomology at Lincoln University, New Zealand. He has an international reputation and has published widely in the field of entomopathogenic microbes and use of biopesticides. He has worked on a range of international projects to develop novel biopesticides. Professor Johannes A. Jehle is Head of the Institute of Biological Control at the Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants (Julius Kühn Institute) in Dossenheim and Adjunct Professor at the Technical University Darmstadt, Germany. He is also Vice-President of the West Palaearctic Regional Section of the International Organisation for Biological and Integrated Control (IOBC-WPRS), a member of the IOBC-WPRS Working Group on Microbial and Nematode Control, and previous President of the Society of Invertebrate Pathology (SIP). A member of the editorial boards of several journals, Professor Jehle is internationally known for his research on entomopathogenic viruses and microbial control of pest insects.Dr Linda Muskat is a professor of Phytopathology and Plant Protection in Viticulture and Horticulture at Hochschule Geisenheim University. Her primary research interest is the development and application of living microbial biocontrol agents for plant protection. Claudia Preininger is a formulation expert and senior researcher at the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology. With a background in chemistry and marketing & sales, her career expands over several material-related fields including diagnostic assay development, immobilization of proteins and microorganisms for sensors, and microarrays and since 2015, the design of biological agroformulations. She currently has responsibility for the development of sustainable bioformulations suitable for seed coatings, foliar spray and soil amendment in the field of plant growth promotion and biocontrol. Professor Michael J. Stout is L. D. Newsom Professor of Integrated Pest Management at Louisiana State University, USA.

• Part 1 Understanding and disrupting insect pests1.Understanding the use of vision and olfaction by thrips and other small flying insects to enhance biological control: D.A.J. Teulon and M-C. Nielsen, The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, New Zealand; K. Lopez–Reyes, Lund University, Sweden; R. Meyhöfer, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Germany; and R.W.H.M. Van Tol, BugResearch Consultancy, The Netherlands;2.Genetic engineering of insects to inhibit insect pest reproduction: Alexis L. Kriete, Sarah E. Hudadoff, Ariel E. Tarrand, Amarish K. Yadav and Maxwell J. Scott, North Carolina State University, USA;3.Developing plant-based insect biocontrol agents: Daniel Tapia Garcia, María Fé Andrés and Azucena Gonzalez Coloma, Instituto de Ciencias Agrarias – Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Spain;4.Developments in peptide-based biocontrol agents to manage insect pests: Yousef M. Abul-Haija, Lewis J. Archibald, Alexander J. Finney, Hugh A. Nicholson, Julian A. T. Dow, and Shireen-Anne Davies, SOLASTA Bio Ltd., UK;5.Using gene silencing (RNA interference) techniques to produce safe insecticidal compounds: Salvatore Arpaia, ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development), Italy;6.Exploiting plant phenotypic plasticity in promoting crop resistance to insect pests: Michael J. Stout, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, USA; Lina Bernaola, Texas A&M University AgriLife Research Center, USA; James M. Villegas, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, USA; and Emily C. Kraus, University of California - Agriculture and Natural Resources, USA;Part 2 Improving biocontrol product development and use7.Key issues in formulation of biocontrol agents for plant protection: Linda C. Muskat, Hochschule Geisenheim University, Germany;8.Challenges in commercialising microbial-based biopesticides for controlling insect pests: Travis R. Glare, Lincoln University, New Zealand;9.Developments in application technologies for biocontrol agents for insect pest control: Claudia Preininger and Viktoria Stagl, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, Austria;10.Challenges in risk assessment of biopesticides for insect pests: Shannon Borges and Mike Mendelsohn, Office of Pesticide Programs – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, USA;