ENT-53806 Biological Control of Insects
Course
Credits 6.00
Teaching method | Contact hours |
Lecture | 24 |
Practical | 48 |
Independent study | 0 |
Course coordinator(s) | prof. dr. M Dicke |
Lecturer(s) | dr. ir. J Helder |
dr. ir. FJJA Bianchi | |
dr. ing. GJZ Gols | |
prof. dr. M Dicke | |
dr. ir. VID Ros | |
dr. ir. CJM Koenraadt | |
Examiner(s) | prof. dr. M Dicke |
Language of instruction:
English
Continuation courses:
ENT-30306 Ecological Aspects of Bio-interactions; ENT-50806 Insect-Plant Interactions; PHP-30806 Molecular Aspects of Bio-interactions.
Contents:
This course addresses biological control of insects and strongly links to the course Insect Ecology that covers fundamental aspects of insect ecology.
Main topics are:
- what makes an insect species a pest?
- how can pests be prevented and managed;
- types of biological control;
- biological control agents of insects (viruses, bacteria, fungi, nematodes, arthropod parasitoids and predators) and their biology;
- how to select the best biological control agent, based on ecological and biological (e.g. behavioural) characteristics of the insects;
- integration of biological control with plant breeding and other non-conventional prevention and management methods such as habitat management, crop rotation: selecting the best natural enemy for the crop and the best crop variety for the biological control;
- dynamics and sustainability of pest-control agent systems/modules.
Learning outcomes:
After successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:
- explain what makes an insect species a pest and what types of biological control are available;
- explain what kinds of biological control agents are available to control insect pests and what their biological characteristics are;
- recognize ecological and biological characteristics of pest and biological control agents that are important determinants of the success of biological control;
- carry out experiments to investigate the ecology and behaviour of biocontrol agents;
- explain what legislation is in place that affects the application of biological control;
- identify the economic interests of all stakeholders involved and how these interests align, and whether this influences the choice and structure of the pest control programmes.
Activities:
- lectures;
- experiments addressing (a) Viruses as biocontrol agents, (b) Predators and parasitoids as biocontrol agents, (c) Fungi as biocontrol agents, (d) Nematodes as biocontrol agents
- writing short reports on the experiments
Examination:
The examination is based on a written exam (50%) , the quality of the reports and the experimental work (50%).
Literature:
All materials needed are provided on the Blackboard site
Minor | Period | ||
---|---|---|---|
Compulsory for: | WUEBC | BSc Minor Ecology and Biological Control of Insects | 5AF |