Internet Book of Biological Control

The updated version of the internet book (version 5 – January 2008) is now available, for more information please visit publications at the website for IOBC Global.

One of the new initiatives of the Executive Committee is to produce the “IOBC Internet Book of Biological Control”. During the General Assemblee in August 2004, concern was expressed about the rather poor way how biological control scientists often communicate with the policy makers, the press and the public. We are frequently hyper critical about our own work, while forgetting to say that biological control has been proven over and again to be the most cost efficient and environmentally friendly pest management method (see van Lenteren’s presidential address at www.iobc.agropolis.fr).

The IOBC believes it is relevant to produce a body of information on biological control that is easily available and provides examples of worldwide successes. Although several publishers have already expressed their interest in printing such information, we think it is of higher priority to have the material freely available on internet first.

Later, a printed version which includes more detail and illustration, may be produced. A start will be made very soon with the publication of the history and current situation of biological control in Latin America.

In this “IOBC Internet Book of Biological Control” will intend to incorporate a section with general and specific books on biological control and websites with biological control information. We need your help to achieve this goal. Not only because it is a lot of work, but also since much of the information on biologica control successes is hidden in the grey, unpublished literature. Please inform us (Colazza@unipa.it) about difficult to access literature on biological control successes, provide us with book titles and help us to summarize biological control information. You also help us a lot by writing a “country or region report”.