CABI Annual Report Switzerland 2012
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CABI Annual Report Switzerland 2012 www.cabi.org KNOWLEDGE FOR LIFE CABI improves people’s lives worldwide by providing information and applying scientific expertise to solve problems in agriculture and the environment © CAB International 2013. CAB International trading as CABI and recognized in the UK as an International Organization as defined by the UK International Organizations Act 1968 and formalized by Statutory Instrument 1982 No. 1071. CABI Head Office, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8DE, United Kingdom. This annual report was prepared by the staff of CABI’s centre in Switzerland and covers activities in 2012. Images are attributed to the photographers as far as is known and are by CABI staff unless specified. Front cover photo – Alicia Leroux looking at damage by the fly Euphranta connexa, a potential biological control agent of swallow-wort, an invasive plant in North America (photo: A. Gassmann) Inside front cover photo – Tim Haye collecting eggs of the brown marmorated stinkbug, Halyomorpha halys, in the Fragrant hills park, Beijing, China (photo: Zhang J.) Citation details: CABI (2013) CABI Switzerland Annual Report, 2012. CABI, Delémont, Switzerland. For copies of this report, please contact CABI ([email protected]), or visit the CABI website www.cabi.org www.cabi.org KNOWLEDGE FOR LIFE contents preface 2 Leucanthemum vulgare 37 revisiting biological control of field bindweed, Convolvulus arvensis 38 introduction 3 biological control of sulphur cinquefoil, Potentilla recta 39 what are the prospects for biological control of tutsan, Hypericum highlights 5 androsaemum in New Zealand? 40 a new weed project for New Zealand 5 evaluating the risk of biocontrol introductions for Japanese knotweed, research on the Japanese knotweed psyllid in Switzerland 6 Fallopia japonica, in Switzerland 41 PROteINSECT: using flies for animal nutrition 6 inception workshop for an IPM project in the Greater Mekong Subregion 7 arthropod biological control 42 supporting plant protection in DPR Korea through partnership with the introduction 42 Ministry of Agriculture 8 biological control of the cabbage seedpod weevil, 7.5 tonnes of equipment for biocontrol agent production facilities Ceutorhynchus obstrictus 43 delivered to Pyongyang 8 biological control of the swede midge, Contarinia nasturtii 44 developing decision guides to improve plant clinic advice 9 biological control of the brown marmorated stinkbug, Halyomorpha halys 45 raising awareness in China and DPR Korea 10 impact of climate on Lygus parasitoids 46 the ICM team expands 11 biological control of red clover casebearer 47 chinese friendship award for Ulrich Kuhlmann 12 biological control of plant bugs in Chinese cotton 48 Stefan Toepfer receives adjunct professorship at the Agricultural crop rotation to control Diabrotica in Germany and Hungary 49 University of Gödöllő in Hungary 13 moving towards less hazardous pesticide use against Diabrotica 30 Stefan Toepfer seconded for six months to CABI in China 14 a nematode-based product for the biological control of Diabrotica CABI hosts visiting scientist Luo Shuping and Wan Huanhuan 15 in Europe 51 retirement reception for Prof. Neil Holliday: over 15 years of biological control of the box tree caterpillar, Cydalima perspectalis 52 fruitful collaboration 15 tripartite collaboration between CABI, the University of risk analysis & invasion ecology 53 Neuchâtel and the Canton Jura 16 introduction 53 CABI - Canton Jura collaboration to educate school children about Biodiversity And Climate Change, A Risk Analysis: BACCARA 54 the importance of conserving and restoring natural river ecosystems 16 Increasing Sustainability of European FORests: ISEFOR 55 new signs lead the way to CABI 16 investigating impacts of Jatropha curcas production: JATROPHABILITY 56 new internet connection and video conferencing facilities 17 Pathway Evaluation and pest Risk Management In Transport: PERMIT 57 renovations in and around CABI 17 ecological impact of the harlequin ladybird, Harmonia axyridis, in Switzerland 58 student highlights 18 spread, abundance, host plants and parasitism of Drosophila suzukii Carole Rapo successfully defended her PhD thesis 18 in Switzerland 59 Vera Wolf obtains a PhD on Tanacetum vulgare 18 building a black list and a watch list for alien animals in Switzerland 60 Saidou Nacambo successfully defends MSc thesis 19 Paul Abram defends his MSc thesis and wins President’s prize 19 ecosystems management 61 Elena Olsen, a new MSc student for weed biological control 19 introduction 61 biological control of broad-leaved dock, Rumex obtusifolius 62 partnerships and meetings 20 novel method for controlling exotic knotweeds and restoring DPR Korea and CABI hold joint symposium on pest monitoring contaminated soil 63 and forecasting 20 environmental impact of invasive plants 64 Plantwise CABI Country Coordinators unite in Delémont 21 working towards sustainable management of Ambrosia artemisiifolia Steering Committee Meeting of the MoA-CABI Joint in Europe 65 Laboratory for Bio-safety 21 integrated crop management 66 weed biological control 22 SCOPES Institutional Partnership project in Albania 67 introduction 22 increasing food production in DPR Korea by sustainably reducing biological control of toadflaxes, Linaria genistifolia and L. vulgaris 23 the impact of soil-borne insect pests 68 is there still hope for biological control of houndstongue, ensuring future food security through the strengthening of research Cynoglossum officinale, in the USA? 24 capacity in DPR Korea 69 biological control of hawkweeds, Pilosella spp., for North America 25 global roll-out of CABI’s flagship programme:Plantwise 70 controlling the noxious Russian knapweed, Acroptilon repens, in the improved food security for smallholder rice farmers in the Greater USA and Canada 26 Mekong Subregion 72 biological control of the environmental weed garlic mustard, strengthening maize producing farming communities in the Alliaria petiolata 27 Greater Mekong Subregion 73 biological control of whitetops, Lepidium draba and L. appelianum, implementation of best agricultural practices in tobacco in Turkey 74 for the USA 28 improving pest management strategies in tobacco production in foreign exploration consortium for biological control of perennial southern Brazil 75 pepperweed, Lepidium latifolium, in the USA 29 giving dyer’s woad, Isatis tinctoria, the blues 30 publications 76 protecting the USA’s wetland areas from staff list 2012 83 common reed, Phragmites australis 31 searching for specific pathogens to control Canada thistle, about CABI 85 Cirsium arvense, in the USA 32 controlling common buckthorn, Rhamnus cathartica, in the USA 33 CABI in Switzerland 86 tackling common tansy, Tanacetum vulgare, in North America 34 acronyms 87 biological control of swallow-worts, Vincetoxicum spp. 35 stemming the spread of Russian olive, Elaeagnus angustifolia 36 prospects for the biological control of oxeye daisy, 1 preface It was a great honour to write the preface for the 2012 Centre Annual Report for CABI in Switzerland. It was particularly timely as this year was a very special one for China-CABI relations with Ulrich Kuhlmann receiving the Chinese government’s Friendship Award in September. This was not only a great honour for himself but also demonstrated significant recognition of the ever-strengthening China-CABI partnership. The Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences has been working together with CABI for over 30 years and during this time we have been jointly developing and implementing many fruitful projects in the field of sustainable agriculture. CABI is highly recognised in China for the support it has provided over the decades. Major milestones in the continually strengthening CABI-China collaboration have included the opening of the CAAS-CABI project office in 2002 and the establishment of the MoA-CABI Joint Laboratory for Bio-safety at the Institute of Plant Protection- CAAS, of which I and Ulrich Kuhlmann are Co-Directors, in 2008. Since its inauguration, the Joint Laboratory has been enabling Chinese scientists, together with CABI scientists from the Switzerland and UK centres, to work on a wide variety of successful research and international development projects on the prevention and management of invasive alien species, integrated pest management and bio-safety assessment of genetically modified organisms. For example, through the Joint Laboratory, we have developed alternatives to the chemical control of Apolygus lucorum, a major pest of cotton on China that can cause yield losses of 20-30%. Significant progress has also been made on biological control of several invasive species, such as the box tree caterpillar, the brown marmorated stink bug and Canada thistle. Every year, the Joint Laboratory has been proud to host CABI scientists from the Switzerland and UK centres to work together with Chinese scientists on research and training activities. Several Chinese junior scientists have also benefitted from visits to CABI in Switzerland where they have improved their capability on agricultural research through valuable hands on experience and professional training by scientists at CABI. As testament to the strong partnership between China and CABI, in 2011, CAAS was very pleased to have been awarded for the first time a significant grant from DG DEVCO EuropeAid to implement a 5-year project in partnership with CABI on rice IPM in Greater Mekong Subregion. This was closely followed by another grant in 2012 for a 3-year project on maize IPM, also in the Greater