Session 1: BIODIVERSITY, BIOSECURITY AND CONSERVATION STRATEGIES S1-LP-01 Biodiversity bugs pests: An ecological perspective N. K. KRISHNA KUMAR* Bioversity International, NASC Complex, DPS Marg, Pusa Complex, New Delhi - 110012, India *Corresponding author E-mail: [email protected] Chemicals pesticides, once a panacea for pest control, of late are at the receiving end for everything that is environmentally unacceptable. Is solution the problem? The paradox cannot be brushed under the carpet. Problems of insect pests assuming an economic status is predominantly, a reflection of a disturbed ecosystem. Monoculture replacing crop diversity, indiscriminate application of fertilizer and weedicides eliminating beneficial microarthropods and microorganisms, pesticides eliminating beneficial arthropods, predators, parasitoids, reptiles and birds up the food web has all contributed to pests and diseases assuming alarming proportion. In a way ‘Silent Spring’, a book so relevant has been forgotten very much today. Short term benefit/cost ratio, maximizing economic returns and much focus in enhancing productivity at any cost without addressing long term soil, plant, and environmental health is detrimental to sustainable agriculture especially in the developing world. Self-sustaining ecosystems have fewer problems and agriculture should move in that direction. It appears that we are in between devil and deep sea. We can neither afford to reduce production and productivity nor food and nutritional security. But robust soil, water and plant health is a function of diversity at its best and is critical for sustainable agriculture. An ecological understanding of the complex interactions among, soil, water, plant, pollinators, pest, and natural enemies shall address our sustainable development goals without seriously compromising productivity. Future hinges more on a scientific understanding of agrobiodiversity to address today’s bugs. S1-LP-02 Biosystematics, biodiversity and biocontrol - relationships V. V. RAMAMURTHY* ICAR - Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa Campus, New Delhi - 110012, India *Corresponding author E-mail: [email protected] Taxonomy is naming, identifying and classifying organisms. It is the real science behind the handling of living organisms. In the over three centuries, taxonomy does not lag behind, it has become more accumulative and rather inclusive. It contributes credibility and enables easy access. The material and knowledge components of biodiversity are elucidated with taxonomy. Biological control is an area where taxonomy provides the means of exploring diversity and harnessing it for mankind. In exploring more than one trophic interaction as in biological control, the credibility is with taxonomy. Biodiversity encompasses the genetic diversity to the species diversity and this cascading to the ecological diversity. Biological control to be meaningful needs credibility in all these and patterns and processes of nature. Thus, biodiversity is to be addressed in its entirety and at all its hierarchical levels simultaneously. Such addressing will demand integration of fundamentals in taxonomy, ecology and genetics. Harnessing biodiversity and its elements are more demanding now, especially with regard to insects and their associated biological resources, due to species complexes and complex species. The recent concept of push pull technology in agroecosystem is one that must be made relevant to biological control. It will be only if the biological diversity is addressed through a comprehensive approach integrating taxonomy. With recent evidence on the parasitic wasps as new champions of diversity over the beetles, there is tremendous scope for biological control. Its credibility will depend on the unraveling of relationships of taxonomy and biodiversity and channelize these for success. S1-LP-03 Pest management services through conservation of biological control agents: review, case studies and field experiences ABRAHAM VERGHESE1*, PRAKYA SREERAMA KUMAR2, S. DEVI THANGAM1, SENTHIL KUMAR RADHAKRISHNAN1, N. K. KRISHNA KUMAR3 and G. P. SHETTY1 1GPS Institute of Agricultural Management, #1, Techno Industrial Complex, Peenya First Stage, Peenya, Bengaluru - 560058, India 2ICAR - National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources, H. A. Farm Post, Bellary Road, Hebbal, Bengaluru - 560024, Karnataka, India 3Bioversity International, NASC Complex, DPS Marg, Pusa Complex, New Delhi - 110012, India *Corresponding author E-mail: [email protected] Conservation biological control is an approach to enhance the efficacy of natural enemies by ensuring their availability in an agro-ecosystem on a long temporal scale. An increased survival often leads to better fecundity and improved behaviour of the natural enemies, which in turn ensures sustainable pest management. This paper, apart from being a concise review of conservation biological control, deals with selected India-specific case studies and field experiences on habitat manipulation and refugia. Results from a Bengaluru-based study during 2012-2015 on conservation biological control in an organic mango ecosystem are also presented. It also dwells briefly on conservation of insectivorous birds and touches upon conservation biocontrol with respect to entomopathogenic microorganisms and plant disease antagonists. S1-OP-01 Research to support New Zealand’s plant border biosecurity BARBARA BARRATT1* and DAVID A. J. TEULON2 1Invermay Agricultural Centre, Private Bag - 50034, Mosgiel - 9053, New Zealand 2Plant and Food Research, Lincoln, New Zealand *Corresponding author E-mail: [email protected] New Zealand has a very strong border biosecurity system to protect its borders from invasive plant pests, pathogens and weeds. As relatively isolated islands, New Zealand has defensible borders and we have been very successful in keeping out some very damaging and high impact pests despite increasing movements of commodities and tourists around the world. A research collaboration known as ‘Better Border Biosecurity (B3)’ has been developed between research agencies and end user organizations with the objective of reducing the rate of arrival and establishment of damaging and unwanted pests, pathogens and weeds of plants systems of economic and environmental significance. B3 has a number of international collaborators particularly in Australia, the USA, and one of our largest trading partners, China. The growing economy in India means that it also may become a significant trading partner and source of tourists, and hence a source of invasive species in the future. B3 focuses its work in 5 main research areas: risk assessment; pathway risk management; diagnostics; surveillance and eradication. Our research in these areas is planned and carried out in very close partnership with the government departments and increasingly industry sectors with responsibility for the security of our primary industries (agriculture, horticulture, and forestry), our natural environment, and the biosafety of deliberate introductions. This presentation will briefly outline some of our most innovative research approaches in each of the focus areas. S1-OP-02 Predatory and parasitic insects associated with the dubas bug in date palm orchards in Oman and relationship with insecticide application ALI ALWAHAIBI* College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, P.O. Box - 34, Alkhoadh P.C - 123, Sultanate of Oman *Corresponding author E-mail: [email protected] Dubas bug, Ommatissus lybicus Bergevin, is an important pest of date palm in Oman. Great efforts have been made to control this pest mostly through the use of insecticides. We conducted studies to determine the potential natural enemies of this important pest and to assess the effect of insecticide applications in 15 selected sites. Arthropod samples were collected from date palm orchards via surveys conducted during two periods in 2009-2012 and in 2015-2017. Samples were collected by beating date palm leaves and sweeping the understory vegetation. Soil samples were collected from under the trees, and then arthropods were extracted from these samples by Berlese traps. Above-ground and soil arthropods were sorted to different groups and counted. Date palm fronds were collected and egg parasitism was assessed in leaflets and interleaflet areas. Two parasitic wasps fed on dubas bug eggs, while one parasitic wasp attacked the nymphs and adults. Predators confirmed to feed on the dubas bug included ten unidentified predatory species belonging to the Aranae, Mantodea, Neuroptera, Hymenoptera, and Coleoptera. Abundance of natural enemies such as anthocorid bugs, ladybird beetles, ants was lower in sprayed than in unsprayed sites. Species richness of some predatory insect groups (anthocorids, ladybird beetles, and lacewings) was lower in sprayed sites than in unsprayed sites. Higher plant diversity and density could be an important factor influencing the abundance and diversity of natural enemies among different sites. S1-OP-03 Invasive alien plant species in Nepal PRAMOD KUMAR JHA*, SEERJANA MAHARJAN, ANJU SHARMA POUDEL and MOHAN SIWAKOTI Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur - 44600, Kathmandu, Nepal *Corresponding author E-mail: [email protected] Invasion by alien plant species has been increasing in Nepal at an alarming rate. A few Invasive Alien Plants (IAPs) have threatened the structure and functions in tropical and temperate ecosystems like richness of native species, cover, soil properties, nutrient cycling, etc.