Integrated pest management research

Scientists from ICARDA and the Department of Entomology at the University of Vermont are engaged in a project, Use of entomopathogenic fungi for the control of Sunn Pest in West Asia, which is aimed at developing and introducing IPM packages for the control of Sunn Pest in West Asia. This pest infests about five million hectares (12m acres) of wheat and barley every year. Pesticide-based control costs more than US$ 40 million annually. The planned IPM programs would combine cultural practices with resistant varieties, promotion of natural enemies and the use of novel biological control strategies. Fungal isolates collected in Syria and Turkey are being evaluated for their effect, and further collection of isolates has been underway in Central Asia.
     Several fungal isolates collected from Sunn Pest adults in Syria and Turkey are effective against tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris, a multimillion dollar pest of crops in the USA, including cotton, strawberries and vegetables. These promising fungal isolates will be used in the IPM of tarnished plant bug in the USA.

   Livestock-and fodder-related research......
   .... Technology-related research that improves scientific methods
   .... and recent research collaboration