Advances in Insect Pest Management of Oilseed Rape in Europe

Abstract

Management of the pests of oilseed rape in Europe still relies heavily on chemical pesticides. These are most often applied routinely and prophylactically, frequently without regard to pest incidence rather than according to threshold values of the pest population. This leads to over-use of pesticides which reduces the economic competitiveness of the crop and threatens biological diversity. Pesticides may also kill the natural agents of biological control, a natural resource of great potential benefit to the grower. In this chapter, I review recent advances in our knowledge of the biology and synecology of these pests and their natural enemies and focus on new approaches to their management, based on this knowledge.