A. Loomans

Insect Biological Control and Non-target Effects: a European Perspective LD Lynch, 1 HMT Hokkanen, 2 D. Babendreier, 3 F. Bigler, 3 G. Burgio, 4 Z.-H. Gao, 2 S. Kuske, 3 A. Loomans, 5 I. Menzler-Hokkanen, 2 MB Thomas, 1 G. Tommasini, 6 JK Waage, 1 JC van Lenteren5 ...

Insect Biological Control and Non-target Effects: a European Perspective LD Lynch, 1 HMT Hokkanen, 2 D. Babendreier, 3 F. Bigler, 3 G. Burgio, 4 Z.-H. Gao, 2 S. Kuske, 3 A. Loomans, 5 I. Menzler-Hokkanen, 2 MB Thomas, 1 G. Tommasini, 6 JK Waage, 1 JC van Lenteren5 ...

More than 5000 introductions of about 2000 species of exotic arthropod agents for control of arthropod pests in 196 countries or islands during the past 120 years rarely have resulted in negative environmental effects. Yet, risks of environmental effects caused by releases of exotics are of growing concern. Twenty countries have implemented regulations for release of biological control agents. Soon, the International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM3) will become the standard for all biological control introductions worldwide, but this standard does not provide methods by which to assess environmental risks. This review summarizes documented nontarget effects and discusses the development and application of comprehensive and quick-scan environmental risk assessment methods.

During winter dormancy, temperate trees are capable of only a restricted response to wounding. Depending on the ambient temperature during winter dormancy, wounded trees may start compartmentalization, e.g. by producing inhibitory compounds, but it is thought that processes involving cell proliferation, such as the formation of callus and wound xylem, are delayed until the next growing season. We investigated the effect of two contrasting temperature regimes on early reactions of Acer palmatum trees to wounding during winter bud dormancy. Stems of A. palmatum trees were wounded and stored under an ambient temperature of 4 or 15 °C for 3 weeks during winter bud dormancy. We then studied wound reactions in the living bark, cambial region and xylem. In the 4 °C treatment, wound reactions were virtually absent. In the 15 °C treatment, however, trees reacted to wounding by dieback of the cortex and phloem and by the formation of ligno-suberized layers. In the cambial zone, cambial dieback occurred and callus tissue and wound xylem were formed locally, close to the wound margins. In the xylem, compartmentalization took place by deposition of inhibitory compounds in fibre cells and vessel elements. We conclude that temperature is an important factor in wound reactions during winter dormancy, and may even induce proliferation of callus and wound xylem within a 3-week period. It therefore seems likely that trees that have been wounded during dormancy in areas with mild or warm winters might cope better with wounding, as unlike trees in cold environments, they may compartmentalize wounds even during winter dormancy.

... A.; Wick, R.; Smith, T.; Lopes, P.; Sanderson, JP; Daughtrey, M.; Brownbridge, M. Source: In: Floral Facts. - Amherst : University of Massachusetts, 1999 - p. 30. Department(s): Laboratorium voor Entomologie (Laboratory of Entomology). Research programme(s): CT de Wit ...

Harmonia axyridis (Pallas, 1773) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) is a ladybird beetle native to temperate and subtropical parts of Asia. Since 1916 populations of this species have been introduced throughout the world, either deliberately, or by accident through international transport. Harmonia axyridis was originally released as a classical biological control agent of aphid and coccid pests in orchards and forests, but since