Oilseed rape is a major arable crop in both Europe and North America. It is attacked by unique complexes of insect pests still largely controlled through the application of chemical insecticides. Crop management systems for the future must combine sustainability with environmental acceptability to satisfy both social and economic demands. This book, in its 17 chapters each led by a world expert, reviews research progress towards developing integrated pest management systems for the crop that enhance conservation biocontrol. This approach is particularly timely because of the development in Europe of insecticide resistance in the pollen beetle, a major pest of the crop. The past decade has seen considerable progress in our knowledge of the parasitoids and predators that contribute to biocontrol, of their distribution patterns, and their behavioural ecology, both within and without the crop. There is potential for natural enemy conservation through modification of within-field crop husbandry practices, as well as, on the landscape scale, through habitat manipulation to encourage vegetational diversity. This book will prove invaluable as a text for researchers, university teachers, graduate scientists, extension workers and growers involved in integrated pest management.
Biocontrol-Based Integrated Management of Oilseed Rape Pests
Ingrid H. Williams Editor
Biocontrol-Based Integrated Management of Oilseed Rape Pests
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Editor Ingrid H. Williams Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Estonian University of Life Sciences Tartu 51014 Estonia
[email protected]
ISBN 978-90-481-3982-8 e-ISBN 978-90-481-3983-5 DOI 10.1007/978-90-481-3983-5 Springer Dordrecht Heidelberg London New York Library of Congress Control Number: 2010925250 © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2010 No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording or otherwise, without written permission from the Publisher, with the exception of any material supplied specifically for the purpose of being entered and executed on a computer system, for exclusive use by the purchaser of the work. Cover design: eStudio Calamar S.L. Printed on acid-free paper Springer is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www.springer.com)
Preface
Oilseed rape is a major arable crop in both Europe and North America. It is particularly suited to the cooler climates of central and northern Europe, to the western provinces of Canada, and to the state of North Dakota in the USA. The area sown to oilseed rape exceeds 5 million hectares in the EU and 6 million hectares in Canada. Most of the European crop is autumn sown whereas most of the North American crop is spring sown. Forecasts predict a continuing increased demand for oilseed production worldwide. In both Europe (Chapters 1 and 5) and North America (Chapter 6), growers must protect their oilseed rape crops from insect pests. The pest complex varies considerably on the two continents. Coleopterous pests predominate in both; a weevil species introduced from Europe has now become a serious pest in North America. Substantial yield losses can also occur through infestation by Diptera and also, in North America, by species of Hemiptera and Lepidoptera. Further, in Europe, the relative importance of various pests differs between spring (Chapter 5) and winter rape. Crop protection against insect pests is still largely through the application of chemical insecticides. These continue to provide reliable and cost-effective control but cause concern because they can harm non-target organism