biology Review Natural Pest Regulation and Its Compatibility with Other Crop Protection Practices in Smallholder Bean Farming Systems Baltazar J. Ndakidemi 1,* , Ernest R. Mbega 1, Patrick A. Ndakidemi 1, Philip C. Stevenson 2,3 , Steven R. Belmain 2 , Sarah E. J. Arnold 1,2 and Victoria C. Woolley 2 1 Department of Sustainable Agriculture, School of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha P.O. Box 447, Tanzania;
[email protected] (E.R.M.);
[email protected] (P.A.N.);
[email protected] (S.E.J.A.) 2 Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Chatham Maritime, Kent ME4 4TB, UK;
[email protected] (P.C.S.);
[email protected] (S.R.B.);
[email protected] (V.C.W.) 3 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3DS, UK * Correspondence:
[email protected] Simple Summary: Bean production by smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa is frequently constrained by insect pests, two of the most serious being Maruca vitrata and Aphis fabae. For many bean farmers, the options available to control these pests are limited. A few can access synthetic insecticides, but these have negative consequences for their health and the environment. Natural pest Citation: Ndakidemi, B.J.; Mbega, regulation (NPR) offers environmentally benign approaches for smallholders to manage bean pests. E.R.; Ndakidemi, P.A.; Stevenson, For example, here, we focus on biological control whereby beneficial organisms predate or parasitize P.C.; Belmain, S.R.; Arnold, S.E.J.; the pests.