the beneficials, granting more than €46 millions in 4 years. Importantly, this
support was a critical point at the beginning but once the farmers realized that the
biocontrol worked better than the chemicals it was not needed anymore. In tomato,
for instance, where the biological control developed several years later, the shift to
biological methods was fully accomplished without subsidies.
More recently, there has been a significant inflection point of the EU policy
toward farming with minimal use of pesticides, clearly stated in the EU Directive
2009/128/EC; EC 2010). The new directive gathers up for the first time the basic
philosophy of the IPM as the concept, originated already 50 years ago, described
by the International Organization of Biological Control (IOBC) (Boller et al.
2004). This means, they give priority to all non-chemical crop protection methods,
especially biological control. Each country has to set up a National Action Plan
before 2014 establishing clear objectives in this sense and also indicators as tools
to evaluate the accomplishment of the goals. Specifically, in Spain this NAP has
been published and a National Commission Board to follow not only the application but also any other plant protection subject has been recently established,
where for the first time representatives of the bioindustry, academics, and grower’s
organizations participate. Not only in EU, but also in various areas worldwide
other sustainable approaches of pest control have been settled, as it was reviewed
by Peshin et al. (2009).
From all the mentioned driving forces to stimulate the use of biological control,
the recognition of the results of the plant protection alternatives by growers, which
depends on previous years of research to fine settle IPM or organic successful
programs, is the most relevant. This can be well exemplified in Almeria, where
biocontrol programs adapted to the climatology and conditions of the area, after
years of research, were able to be established when the green revolution began.
Many trials had been attempted before without achieving a total success, because the
released natural enemies were selected for north European countries with different
environment. The proper selection of species well adapted to Mediterranean conditions changed the situation, namely the predatory mite A. swirskii Athias-Henriot
(Acari: Phytoseidae) and the predatory bug N. tenuis Reuter (Het.: Miridae).
Researchers of the industry have collaborated with the public research sector in
this process, not only in the suitable selection of the species as well as the shipment
and release methods, which both were decisive, but also guarantying the availability of big quantities of mass-reared populations that were able to be supplied at
the right time.
4.3 Role of Bioindustry
There are more than 500 companies selling natural enemies worldwide but only 30
are large producers (with more than 30 employees), of which 20 are located in
Europe (Bolckmans 2008). The four biggest companies, which are the ones that
employ more than 50 people, are the main suppliers of predators and parasitoids in
4 Biosystems Engineering Applied to Greenhouse Pest Control
109
support was a critical point at the beginning but once the farmers realized that the
biocontrol worked better than the chemicals it was not needed anymore. In tomato,
for instance, where the biological control developed several years later, the shift to
biological methods was fully accomplished without subsidies.
More recently, there has been a significant inflection point of the EU policy
toward farming with minimal use of pesticides, clearly stated in the EU Directive
2009/128/EC; EC 2010). The new directive gathers up for the first time the basic
philosophy of the IPM as the concept, originated already 50 years ago, described
by the International Organization of Biological Control (IOBC) (Boller et al.
2004). This means, they give priority to all non-chemical crop protection methods,
especially biological control. Each country has to set up a National Action Plan
before 2014 establishing clear objectives in this sense and also indicators as tools
to evaluate the accomplishment of the goals. Specifically, in Spain this NAP has
been published and a National Commission Board to follow not only the application but also any other plant protection subject has been recently established,
where for the first time representatives of the bioindustry, academics, and grower’s
organizations participate. Not only in EU, but also in various areas worldwide
other sustainable approaches of pest control have been settled, as it was reviewed
by Peshin et al. (2009).
From all the mentioned driving forces to stimulate the use of biological control,
the recognition of the results of the plant protection alternatives by growers, which
depends on previous years of research to fine settle IPM or organic successful
programs, is the most relevant. This can be well exemplified in Almeria, where
biocontrol programs adapted to the climatology and conditions of the area, after
years of research, were able to be established when the green revolution began.
Many trials had been attempted before without achieving a total success, because the
released natural enemies were selected for north European countries with different
environment. The proper selection of species well adapted to Mediterranean conditions changed the situation, namely the predatory mite A. swirskii Athias-Henriot
(Acari: Phytoseidae) and the predatory bug N. tenuis Reuter (Het.: Miridae).
Researchers of the industry have collaborated with the public research sector in
this process, not only in the suitable selection of the species as well as the shipment
and release methods, which both were decisive, but also guarantying the availability of big quantities of mass-reared populations that were able to be supplied at
the right time.
4.3 Role of Bioindustry
There are more than 500 companies selling natural enemies worldwide but only 30
are large producers (with more than 30 employees), of which 20 are located in
Europe (Bolckmans 2008). The four biggest companies, which are the ones that
employ more than 50 people, are the main suppliers of predators and parasitoids in
4 Biosystems Engineering Applied to Greenhouse Pest Control
109