1 Need for Quality Control of Mass-

produced Biological Control Agents

J.C. van Lenteren

Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, PO Box 8031,

6700 EH Wageningen, The Netherlands

Introduction

Augmentative biological control, where large
numbers of natural enemies are periodically
introduced, is commercially applied on a
large area in various cropping systems world-
wide (van Lenteren, 2000a; van Lenteren and
Bueno, 2002). It is a popular control method
applied by professional and progressive farm-
ers and stimulated by the present interna-
tional attitudes in policies of reducing
pesticide use. Initially, augmentative biologi-
cal control was used to manage pests that had
become resistant to pesticides. Now it is
applied because of efficacy and costs, which
are comparable with conventional chemical
control. Farmers are also motivated to use
biological control to reduce environmental
effects caused by pesticide usage.
Worldwide, more than 125 species of nat-
ural enemies are commercially available for

augmentative biological control (Anon., 2000;

Gurr and Wratten, 2000). This form of control

is applied in the open field in crops that are

attacked by only a few pest species, and it is

particularly popular in greenhouse crops,

where the whole spectrum of pests can be

managed by different natural enemies (van

Lenteren, 2000b). Its popularity can be

explained by a number of important benefits

when compared with chemical control: there

are no phytotoxic effects on young plants,

premature abortion of fruit and flowers does

not occur, release of natural enemies takes

less time and is more pleasant than applying

pesticides, several key pests can be controlled

only with natural enemies, there is no safety

or re-entry period after release of natural ene-

mies, which allows continuous harvesting

without danger to the health of personnel,

biological control is permanent and the gen-

eral public appreciates biological control.

© CAB International 2003. Quality Control and Production of Biological Control Agents:
Theory and Testing Procedures (ed. J.C. van Lenteren) 1

Abstract

Mass-rearing of natural enemies often takes place in small companies with little know-how and under-
standing of conditions influencing performance, which may result in natural enemies of bad quality and
failures with biological control. This makes robust quality control programmes a necessity. Background
information is presented on the activity of mass-producing natural enemies, the emergence of the devel-
opment of quality control worldwide is sketched, basic considerations for quality control are outlined
and difficulties encountered when developing quality control are discussed.