Biological control not a quick fix, warns researcher

Biological pest control holds significant potential for agriculture, but growers need to understand both its advantages and limitations before adopting it, warned Dr Francois Gulu Bekker, researcher at Stellenbosch University.

- – Glenneis Kriel

Speaking at the South African Society for Enology and Viticulture/South African Table Grape Industry's Table Talk: Grape Conversations, recently held near Paarl, Bekker said that biological control – the use of natural enemies, such as parasitoids, predators and pathogens to suppress pest populations – offers several advantages. These include being species specific, preventing pests from developing resistance, promoting ecological balance and potentially being cost effective in the long term.

He, however, stressed that it cannot eradicate pests entirely, often works slowly, has variable effectiveness and can be complex to implement: “If anyone says it is easy, do not listen to them,” he said.