News and Reviews

3rd Annual Extension Conference on Biological Control to be Held in Indiana

This regional conference targets farmers, Extension educators, agricultural instructors, crop consultants, greenhouse operators and nursery, landscape and turf managers, especially in Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky and Indiana. The program will cover how to effectively control insect pests through the use of their natural enemies. This conference was planned by the Biological Control Committee of the North Central Regional Land Grant Universities (NCR-125). The two-day program begins with a session on the basic principles and techniques of biological control, followed by presentations on how biological control currently is being used successfully in the Midwest. An evening program will feature a panel discussion with growers, Extension agents and organic farmers that will identify the current barriers to implementing biological control in the Midwest. The second day of the conference will feature lecture and laboratory sessions with Extension specialists on specific crops. Participants can attend a special hands-on laboratory to learn to identify common natural enemies.

Attendance will be limited to 100 people. Fees for registration are $45 for each day, or $75 for the two-day conference. Fees cover refreshments and course materials, including a manual on the basics of biological control. See the Upcoming Events below for registration information.

Midwest Institute for Biological Control 1995 Summer Short Course

The Midwest Institute for Biological Control held its 1995 summer short course at the campus of the University of Illinois in July. This year's course, entitled "Insect Parasites, Predators and Pathogens," lasted five days and was taught by seven instructors to 20 students. Students this year included midwestern graduate students, current and former faculty members, technicians from the USDA and DuPont, scientists from the US Forest Service, an extension educator and visiting scientists from India. This year's course was supported in part by the Illinois Natural History Survey, the University of Illinois Office of Agricultural Entomology, the Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station and the DuPont Corporation.

These short courses are offered each summer as a collaborative effort by biological control specialists from around the Midwest to provide in-depth training in specific areas of biological control.

The Midwest Institute is trying to switch to a two-year cycle to cover the four topic areas, and also develop an electronic-based course primer through funding from the USDA National Biological Control Institute.

NBCI on the World Wide Web

Keep up with biological control on the information superhighway through the National Biological Control Institute's site on the world wide web. This site provides current information related to biological control and an introduction to the NBCI staff. The NBCI Store offers over 30 publications, a poster, and 3 videos free of charge. Just fill out the on-line order form! Regional, national, and international meetings, conferences, and workshops having to do with some type of biological control are listed in the Events section. The Resources section offers information on the latest student research opportunities, fellowships, internships, and research grants that can be applied for. If you're looking for a new job in biological control, check out the possibilities in the Employment section. And if MBCN isn't enough, read about the other 15 newsletters listed (along with subscription information).

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