Biological and Integrated Pest Control in Greenhouses

• DOI: 10.1146/annurev.en.33.010188.001323
• Publication Date: 2003-07-02T06:34:41Z
• Authors: J. C. van Lenteren; J. Woets
• Keywords: 0106 biological sciences; Life Science; 01 natural sciences

The total world area covered by greenhouses is very small (approximately 150,000 ha; Table 1), yet developments in biological pest control in this cropping system have been significant and are of particular interest for several reasons. Few specialists in biological control anticipated that it would be possible to employ natural enemies in greenhouses because growing vegeta­ bles and ornamentals in this protected situation is expensive and pest damage is not tolerated. Successful greenhouse growers cannot afford to risk any damage from insects for idealistic reasons, e .g. a belief that biological control may cause fewer negative side effects than chemical control. If chemical control is more effective, growers will certainly use it. In tomatoes, for example, pest control represents only 1-2% of the total overall cost of production (52); thus, the cost of pest control is not a limiting factor. Yet although chemical control is easy and inexpensive, the development and application of biological control has been remarkably fast. Biological control in greenhouses is also worthy of attention because (a) a new system of introducing natural enemies is used; (b) research on pests in greenhouses has resulted in extensive theoretical developments in understanding how biologi­ cal control works; and (c) a close relationship among researchers, develop­ ment and extension workers, and growers has resulted in a rapid transfer and use of information on biological control in greenhouses. To date, most of the