Fall 2010 BIOCONTROL NEWS AND VIEWS FOR WYOMING Volume 10, Number 2 Editor: Tim Collier, College of Agriculture, University of Wyoming What is CABI? A Brief History Hariet L. Hinz, Head Weed Biological Control Research, CABI Europe-Switzerland Many of you have heard of CABI before and you from being responsible for the identification of insect might even know something about the biological control and fungal pests, and parasitoids, the organization also research conducted by our Centre, located somewhere in produced a monthly periodical giving summaries of Switzerland, right? (Or was that Sweden?). Indeed, the current entomological literature. This eventually led to Wyoming Biological Control Steering Committee sends the production of the CAB Abstracts, which is now money to our Centre in Switzerland each year, for which the world-leading database covering agriculture and the you eventually receive bugs that eat your weeds. But environment. In 1986, the name was changed from CABI does a lot more than that and I thought you might Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux to CAB be interested to hear a little bit about the history of the International, indicating the switch from a purely organization and what we do besides weed biological Commonwealth organization to a truly international one. control work. In 1990, CABI’s four international research institutes at CABI was founded in 1910 in the UK. With a little the time (Entomology, Mycology, Parasitology and mental arithmetic you will figure out that this means we Biological Control) became known as the International are celebrating our 100th anniversary this year! Back then Institute of Biological Control (IIBC). Eight years it was called the Entomological Research Committee continued on page 2…CABI… Dr. Benno Herting and Dr. Hubert Pschorn-Walcher with insect nets and included two field entomolo- gists, one in East Africa and one in West Africa, to collect and study insects injurious to humans, crops and animals. Over the next four decades, the organization went through three name changes and Inside this issue: moved its headquarters four times: What is CABI? A Brief History 1 first to Ontario, Canada, to escape The CABI Summer Student Experience 3 the Second World War, then to Ottawa, Canada, and Trinidad before returning to the UK in CABI and the Wyoming Weed & Pest Council 4 1984. During that period, the Canadians contributed signifi- Bio Control of Common Tansy 5 cantly to the growth of CABI by allocating funds to stations Beneficial Visit to CABI 6 in Switzerland, Trinidad, Kenya, India and Pakistan. Apart CABI Visit 2009 7 continued from page 1…CABI… later, the four institutes of the IIBC All in all CABI has over 400 staff against forest pests. Initially, the were integrated into a new entity – operating from bases in nine countries Centre was established near Zürich, CABI Bioscience. In the same year, and working in more than 70. Apart in the German-speaking part of CABI Publishing was born, reflecting from publishing, CABI focuses on Switzerland; however, in the 1950s it the increasing importance of our development projects and research to was moved to Delémont in the publishing to CABI’s reputation and find solutions to agricultural and French-speaking part because the area income. Besides CAB Abstracts, and environmental problems. A third was more forested. (Unofficially, it CABI books, one of CABI’s best component is our microbial services may have had something to do with known products is the Crop Protec- unit that manages a collection the fact that the Centre Director at the tion Compendium, a comprehensive of over 28,000 living fungal strains: the time was French-speaking.) But there database for crop protection informa- UK's National Collection of Fungus is no doubt that Delémont is less tion worldwide. Currently, an Invasive Cultures. Besides offering identifica- pricey than Zürich, so the move made Species Compendium is being developed, which will be available free on the internet. Our most recent organizational change, in 2006, involved the merging of CABI Bioscience and CABI Publishing under a single CABI brand. The current CABI is a not-for- profit organization with 45 member countries. Unfortunately, the U.S. is not a member yet, but we are working on it! Each member country has an equal role in the organization's govern- ance, policies and strategic direction, in addition to enjoying a number of privileges and services. CABI is Group picture of CABI staff at the Swiss Centre in 2010 governed by the Review Conference and an Executive Council, both of tions, and consultancy services, we sense. In 1963 a new laboratory (the which consist of representatives of also screen our collection for natural current Centre) was built on the member countries. So we are a real products such as antibiotics, vitamins outskirts of Delémont, and the local customer-driven organization. In addi- and enzymes. As one little snapshot, in authorities even named the road tion, an independent board of nine 2000 CABI developed a tool kit to leading to the institute “Rue des advisors oversees CABI’s detect microbial contamination in fuel Grillons” (Cricket Street). programmes and guides management tanks of aero planes. Believe it or not, on operational and strategic issues. plane engines can be blocked up by fungal growth, which “…the local authorities even named the road passengers would leading to the institute ‘Rue des certainly not appreci- Grillons’ (Cricket Street).” ate, especially when the plane is up in the air! The test is now being commercialized CABI Europe-Switzerland started by a CABI spin-out off with a small group of scientists, but company. now employs 19 permanent staff So how does our on-site, four external scientists in Swiss Centre fit into Serbia, Hungary and China, currently all of this? seven students, and roughly 15 tempo- The CABI Europe- rary technical assistants known Switzerland Centre as summer students (Note that was initially set up in one person, our administrator, 1948 and was driven Monique Gyseler, is present in both Staff at CABI in Switzerland in the 1960ies. From left to right: Dr. by Canada’s needs for pictures!) If you have problems Klaus P. Carl, Dr. G. Scheibelreiter, Dr. O. Eichhorn, Ms. Monique parasitoids to be used locating her, especially in the second Gyseler, Dr. Helmut Pschorn-Walcher, and Dr. Dieter Schroeder continued on page 4…CABI… Page 2 The CABI Summer Student Experience by Danielle Fife Most entomologists I meet tell me It was one of my entomology a positive place to work. I imagine it they’ve been collecting since they could professors that told me about CABI would vary from year to year, but there barely walk and have reared everything and encouraged me to apply. Why really is a great group of people here from walkingsticks to Cercropia moths not? It would be a great way to and there’s always something going in their (very understanding) parent’s continue working with insects, learn on whether it’s a hiking trip on the basements. My love of insects dates all about biological control (something I weekend, filling up on cheese fondue (a the way back to my second year of had no experience with) and get to requisite Swiss experience), or watching university…so about four years ago. travel. I wrote a letter of interest to the World Cup at the local bar. It I took a class called ‘Insect Natural Dr. Hariet Hinz who was the contact creates an atmosphere where I actually History and Diversity’ with Dr. Steve listed on the advertisement and was a look forward to going into work. Of Marshall and I was hooked! Suddenly I little surprised to actually hear back course there are days when I would was seeing insects everywhere that I from her. I found out I got the job rather sleep in and not stare at tiny had no idea existed. It’s amazing what the day before I finished my last larvae through a microscope though! you can see if you take a closer look at exam as an undergrad. Phew! Off to Since the initial few weeks of that goldenrod in your garden or flip Switzerland to start a new adventure. getting settled in I've gotten into the over a few rocks in the forest! The whole process of coming swing of things at work. As I already I had always had an interest in over here was pretty stress-free. mentioned, I work for Esther who is nature, especially birds and mammals, CABI took care of organizing my a research scientist in the Weed which is why I decided to enroll in the work permit, a place to live and Biological Control section. Esther is zoology program at the University of helped me get settled in comfortably investigating potential biological Guelph in Southern Ontario (about an when I got here. I just had to get control agents for garlic mustard and hour away from Toronto, where I grew myself there! At the end perennial pepperweed. Both plants are up). Since many of the ‘ology’ courses of February I flew into Basel (or Bale European in origin and are invasive in were being cut or condensed by the in French) and somehow managed to time I could take them, I was able to fit find my way by train to the station in in more entomology courses, such as Delémont, a quaint farming town “…a place where it's cool to be Insect Behaviour, Systematics and even in the French-speaking region of a tropical entomology course in Bolivia! Switzerland (so much for 'when am I a biology geek!” ever going to need French, anyway?').