Case studies on entomovectoring in the greenhouse and open field

Abstract

Managed pollinators are often used in agriculture and horticulture to increase crop yield in greenhouses and open fields. Over the past 25 years, research has been conducted to investigate the potential of these pollinators to perform a second task, being the dispersal of biological control agents (BCO) alongside with their pollination service. Especially the suppression of grey mould, caused by Botrytis cinerea, has received considerable attention in multiple crops such as strawberries, raspberries and blueberries. Trials to suppress insect pest species, such as tarnished plant bug and western flower thrips, have also been conducted in crops such as tomato, sweet pepper and sunflowers. In this chapter, an overview is provided of the current literature with several case studies investigating the potential of entomovectoring to suppress plant pathogens and pest species under greenhouse and open field conditions.