Effective on-farm biological control can slow the pace of deforestation and avert biodiversity loss. This is what an international team involving entomologists, conservation biologists, agro-ecologists and geographers* has just revealed.
The results of this study have been published in Communications Biology – Nature.
Biological control of invasive species is often perceived as an environmentally risky practice. Yet it can restore crop yields and ease agricultural pressure on the environment, while contributing to forest conservation. This is the conclusion of an article just published by an international team, which includes CIRAD, in Communications Biology – Nature. This paper illustrates the positive impacts of a biological control process implemented in Southeast Asia against the cassava mealybug, Phenacoccus manihoti (Hemiptera).
Expansion of the agricultural frontier is reduced after biological control
The cassava mealybug, which arrived in Thailand in 2009, caused a decline of almost 20% in yields of cassava, a crop grown on around 4 million ha in Southeast Asia. This triggered sharp increases in cassava prices and an expansion of crop surfaces, to the detriment of forests. Deforestation rates subsequently doubled, and even increased six-fold in the neighbouring countries. In 2010, the authorities introduced the host-specific parasitic wasp Anagyrus lopezi (Hymenoptera): the damage caused by the mealybug was reduced, the area needed for cassava crops contracted, and the pace of deforestation slowed.
“Thanks to almost real-time satellite imagery combined with statistical analyses, we have observed a 31-95% reduction in deforestation”, says Kris Wyckhuys, an agro-ecologist at the University of Queensland (Australia) and IPP-CAAS (China), and coordinator of the study. The scientists conclude that well-targeted biological control of crop pests increases yields and thereby avoids agricultural expansion and deforestation.
Biological control to preserve biodiversity
“This study confirms the importance of collaboration between conservation biologists and crop protection scientists in order to address the pest problems encountered by farmers” , says Kris Wyckhuys. Such agro-ecological approaches reconcile invasive species mitigation, biodiversity conservation and profitable farming. “By opting for biological control rather than pesticides, farmers defuse pest problems, enhance the profitability of their operations and concurrently become stewards of the environment”, says Jean-Philippe Deguine of CIRAD, co-author of the paper.
Learn more: In the tropics, biological control can limit deforestation and biodiversity loss
The Latest on: Biological control
[google_news title=”” keyword=”biological control” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Biological control
- How insects control their wings: The mysterious mechanics of insect flighton April 18, 2024 at 8:02 am
Many of us would love the superpower to fly, and for good reason: Flight offers a crucial evolutionary advantage. Flying enables an animal to travel large distances quickly, in search of food and new ...
- Beating Mosquitos In Florida: A Comprehensive Guide To Mosquito Controlon April 16, 2024 at 2:54 pm
Florida, known for its warm climate and abundant water bodies, is also home to a significant mosquito population. Mosquitos can be a nuisance and a health ...
- N. Korea has capability to genetically engineer biological military products: U.S. reporton April 15, 2024 at 2:24 pm
North Korea has the capability to genetically engineer biological military products, an annual U.S. report showed Monday, noting Pyongyang has a "dedicated, national-level offensive" biological ...
- Potential for Aerosol Dissemination of Biological Weapons: Lessons from Biological Control of Insectson April 14, 2024 at 5:00 pm
anthracis. Opportunities to evaluate human exposure to nonhuman pathogens arise in North America every spring and summer, when biological agents are applied to control insect pest populations.
- People and Plants: Kelley Rawlsky: Bladderwort could be key to mosquito controlon April 14, 2024 at 3:36 am
Do you think it is possible for an aquatic plant to reduce mosquito populations? I must admit for a mosquito magnet like myself, the idea is intriguing.
- Debating sex and gender: Whose ‘biological reality’ is it anyway?on April 12, 2024 at 11:30 pm
An op-ed criticizing the growing acceptance of the term "sex assigned at birth" generated a wave of various reactions from readers.
- Biological Fairness?on April 9, 2024 at 9:30 am
I have suffered from persistent fatigue in recent months. Fatigue… the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate 3.3 million Americans suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome. It is just ...
- Pregnancy may speed up 'biological aging,' study suggestson April 9, 2024 at 3:00 am
A study conducted in the Philippines links pregnancy to changes in the chemical tags that sit atop DNA, hinting that pregnancy speeds biological aging.
- Biological Control of Tropical Weeds Using Arthropodson June 17, 2023 at 7:40 pm
Weeds are a major constraint to agricultural production, particularly in the developing world. Cost-efficient biological control is a self-sustaining way to reduce this problem, and produces fewer non ...
- Biological control against citrus greeningon May 9, 2022 at 1:27 pm
Citrus farmers in the state of São Paulo have successfully implemented biological control technology developed by the Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture of the University of São Paulo (ESALQ-USP) ...
via Bing News