Biological Control of Weeds: theory and practical application Mic Julien and Graham White Biological Control of Weeds: theory and practical application Mic Julien and Graham White The Australian Centre for lnrernational Agricultural Research (ACIAR) was established in June 1982 by an ACT of the Australian Parliament. Irs mandate is to help identify agricultural problems in developing countries and to commission collaborative research between Australian and developing counrry researchers in fields where Australia has a special research competence. Where rrade names are used this constitutes neither endorsement of nor discrimination against and product by the Centre. ACIAR Monograph Series This peer reviewed series contains the results of original research supported by ACIAR, or material deemed relevant to ACIAR's research objecrives. The series is distributed internationally, with an emphasis on developing countries. O Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, GPO Box 1571, Canberra ACT 260 1, Australia. Julien, Mic and White, Graham. 1997. Biological Control of Weeds: theory and practical application. ACIAR Monograph No. 49 192pp. lSBN 1 86320 216 1 Typeset and layout: Design One Solutions, Canberra, Australia Production managemenr: I'eter Lynch Biological Control of Weeds: an illustrated seminar ................ 1 Mic julien Success, and Failure, in Biological Control of Weeds. .............9 Mic julien A History of Biological Control of weeds ..................... 17 Rachel McFadyen and Brian Wilhon Introduction to Weed Science. ............................ .23 Steve Adkins Population Ecology and Biological Control of Weeds ............39 Graham White Procedures in Biological Control of Weeds ....................47 Wendy Forno Exploration of Agents ................................... .51 Wendy Forno and Matthew Purcell Prioritising Weed Biological Control Agents ................... 57 jenn;fer Marohq Protocols and Quarantine Procedures for Importation and Release of Biological Control Agents ...........63 Rachel McFadyen Compiling a Plant List for Testing the Host Range ofAgents ......71 Wendy Forno and Tim Heard Host Range Testing of Insects ..............................77 Tim Heard Decision Making Based on Host Range Tests ................. .83 Rachel McFadyen and Tim Heard Mass Rearing of Insects for Biological Control of Weeds. ......... 89 Graham Donnelly Distribution of Agents. ...................................97 Tony Wright Contents ii Establishment of Agents .................................101 Tony Wright Measuring the Impact of Biological Control Agents on Weeds .... 105 Grant FarreII and Mark Lonsdale Plant Pathogens as Classical Control Agents .................. 119 Allan Tornley Bioherbicides. ......................................... 129 Bruce A. Auld Mass Production of Fungi for Biopesticides. ..................135 Bruce A. Auld Plant Propagation and Culture ............................ 141 Gio. W Fichera Aquatic Plant Cultivation ................................ 151 Shaun Winterton The Importance ofTaxonomy in Biological Control Studies. ..... 157 Don Sand Climate Matching Using the CLIMEX Program. .............. 165 Gunter Maywald and Robert Sutherst A Participatory Approach to Biological Control of Weeds. .......177 Larissa Bilston and GeoffNorton Benefit Cost Analysis for Biological Control Projects. ...........185 David Adamson Preface Weed problems in the Asia-Pacific region are becoming areas, a joint venture - the Coooperative Research increasingly difficult to manage. Most countries in the Centre for Tropical Pest Management (CTPM) - region are not only faced with a higher risk of exotic was established in 1991, involving GIRO Entomology, weed introduction, the result of a major increase in Queensland Department of Natural Resources and travel and trade, but are also attempting to reduce Primary Industries and the University of Queensland. their reliance on herbicides for environmental, health and sustainability reasons. Against this background, It was decided very early in the life of CTPM that an biological control clearly has a major role to play in international course in Biological Control of Tropical the region, either on its own or, increasingly, as part of Weeds would enhance the international research effort an integrated weed management strategy. in this field. The aim was to provide participants with the key knowledge, information and skills they require In Australia, many of the major tropical weed to implement a biological control project in their problems are associated with extensive agricultural countries. To date, 52 participants from 21 countries activities and biological control is ofien the only have attended the four courses organised, with major feasible means of control. As a result, considerable funding coming from ACIAR, the Crawford Fund effort has been devoted to weed biological control, and GTZ. with considerable success. Indeed, it is generally recognised that Australia is a world leader in the Since the course was first established, we have received development and implementation of practical weed many requests for additional copies of the excellent biological control. During the past decade, CSIRO lecture notes that were provided for course participants. Entomology and Queensland Department of Natural This book is the result. We are extremely grateful to Resources have been involved in a number of ACIAR for funding the production of this book and, collaborative projects on weed biological control with in particular, to Paul Ferrar - Research Program neighbouring countries in the Asia-Pacific region, Coordinator in ACIAR - for his initial and on-going largely funded through the Australian Centre for encouragement and enthusiasm for the course and the International Agricultural Research (ACIAR). book. I am sure this book will make an important contribution to an increase in the biological control of However, having the will to collaborate and increase weeds in the Asia-Pacific region and worldwide. effort in biological control of weeds is one thing, to achieve practical implementation is another matter. It involves the cooperation of a number of key players Director, Centrefor Tropical Pest Management, and spans a range of disciplines, from taxonomy and University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. ecology to political and socioeconomic science. To achieve increased cooperation in Australia in weed September 199Z biological control and in other pest management Introduction iv The Cooperative Research Centre for Tropical Pest developing a list of plants for host testing, or climate Management (CTPM) has presented four courses in matching using a computer model. Others are case Biological Control of Weeds since 1993. Each course studies illustrating the decision making processes included sessions at Centre for Tropical Pest Manage- required, e.g. interpreting results from host range ment headquarters on The University of Queensland tests. Relevant theory is introduced, but approaches campus, and at CSIRO Entomology at Long Pocket that have proven not to be useful in practice, such as Laboratories and Queensland Department of Natural ecologically and biologically based ranking systems for Resources at the Alan Fletcher Research Station which potential agents, and speculative issues for which little specialise in the biological control of weeds. data are available, such as negative environmental impacts of weed biological control agents, are not The course was designed for scientists and managers discussed in detail. who are to be involved in the regulation, management or implementation of biological control of weeds but Some aspects of the course could not be captured in a have limited experience in the area. The main aims of book. For instance, the courses provided a forum to the course are to give participants a balanced under- develop contacts to keep up to date with activities and standing of the theory of weed biological control and to source control agents. It also provided an opportunity a practical exposure to the procedures followed in a for additional formal and informal discussions with weed biological control program. experienced scientists about specific weed problems and their management. For some chapters of the Participants to the courses received a set of notes. This book, practical demonstrations during the courses book is a compilation of those notes, but with consider- assisted in clarification of techniques. able expansion and modification and the addition of references, to make them suitable for publication. Altogether the papers in this book provide an overview of biological control of weeds with an emphasis on how The book covers in broad terms the theory under- to go about it. However, it is only a starting point and pinning some aspects of biological control of weeds, key material from the large literature on biological discusses the various stages of a project in some detail control of weeds is referenced throughout the book. from its beginnings to evaluating the impact of agents after they have been released. It introduces techniques Graham White' and that may be usefully applied in a project. It also touches Mic Julien' on some contemporary issues and methods such as host range testing, use of fungi as control agents and selection of the most appropriate agents. Some sections ' CTPM, Gehrmann Laboratories, University of Queenskznd! 4072, Australia are purely methodology, e.g. propagating plants for CSIRO Entornol~~Pyiuate