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Foreword
Foreword vii
The CIBC Technical Communication series was initiated to provide an outlet for
regional reviews on biological control. This review, the 8th in the series and the 3rd prepared
by Canadian scientists, points to the importance which Canada attaches to biological
control and reflects the volume of Canadian activity in this field.
Canada continues to support an active classical biological control programme, relying
on the Commonwealth Institute of Biological Control to undertake most of its foreign
exploration and research. The collection and redistribution of natural enemies successfully
established earlier to hasten control has continued. However, the current volume
indicates an acceptance of biological control in its wider context as a component,
albeit a very important one, of integrated pest management. Increasing attention and
interest are being focused on other biological control approaches, i.e., augmentative
and inundative releases as well as amelioration of the environment. The value of food
plants or nectar sources for adult parasitoids has been demonstrated.
To date, augmentative and inundative releases in Canada have involved pathogens,
both introduced and native, rather than parasitoids or predators. The period under
review has seen the implementation, by large field trials, of microbial control, utilizing
both bacterial and viral preparations for the control of forestry pests. The use of
Bacillus thuringiensis has involved the large-scale production of "tailor-made" formulations
by the agro-chemical industry and provides a preferred, although more
expensive, alternative to the former wide-scale use of chemical pesticides for the
control of spruce budworms. B.thuringiensis is fully registered as a pesticide in
Canada for use against several lepidopteran defoliators. Similarly, research on viruses
of neodiprionid sawflies has led to practical field application, with some degree of
carry-over from year to year.
The first book reported introductions of control agents against two weeds; the
second reviewed attempts against four additional species or species complexes
whereas in the present volume, thirty agents have now been released against fourteen
weed species in Canada. Increasing efforts have been made to evaluate or quantify the
gains which have been or might be derived from biological control of weeds.
The book is timely; by its preparation, scientists and administrators can take stock of
achievements to date and thus will be better placed to plan for the future. As M.A.
Hulme and G.A. Green point out, the scope for research opportunities is limited not by
lack of suitable problems but by the resources available to devote to biological control.
The economic climate in Canada, as elsewhere, dictates that emphasis be given to
developing management strategies for the pests causing the greatest economic losses
and, as pointed out by Dr. P. Harris, proposals for future funding for biological control
must, in order to convince administrators to release funds, provide quantitive
assessment of the losses inflicted by the target pest or weed and thereby demonstrate
the financial benefit which will result if the project is successful. This book attempts to
provide an evaluation of each control attempt, and administrators and scientists now
should be in a good position to plan for the future.
F.D. Bennett
Director
Commonwealth Institute of
Biological Control