Novel biotechnologies for biocontrol agent enhancement and management : [Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Study Institute on Novel Biotechnologies for Biocontrol Agent Enhancement and Management, held in Gualdo Tadino, Italy, 8-19 September 2006

The intent of the NATO Advanced Study Institute (ASI) entitled “Novel Biotechnologies for Biocontrol Agent Enhancement and Management” was to permit the meeting of the major exponents in the scienti?c community working with enhancing different biological control agents (fungi, bacteria, virus, nematodes, and insects) on different targets (pathogens, insects, weeds, and rodents). This multidisciplinary group, having backgrounds in the diff- ent aspects of biotechnologies (transgenic enhancement, molecular biology, formulation, genetics, risk assessment, new technology, biochemistry, and physiology), presented highly advanced lectures during the 10-day-ASI, in order to allow students to improve their capability to enhance and manage - ological control agents. This approach will allow ASI attendees to bring new ideas, new approaches, or new methodologies coming from different ?elds of application to their own ?eld of expertise. A further aim of the NATO ASI was to create a network of young and experienced scientists, with few geographical barriers among countries, who will develop new opportunities to collaborate in this ?eld of science that requires a “global” collaborative approach. Forty students from twenty countries took part to the NATO ASI. In addition to the 45 lectures from the 15 lecturers, there were 25 short presentations and 8 posters on cogent research from students in this course, held between September 8- 2006 and September 19, 2006. Front Matter....Pages I-IX BIOTECHNOLOGY IN CROP PROTECTION: TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE INSECT CONTROL....Pages 1-23 BACTERIA AS BIOLOGICAL CONTROL AGENTS FOR INSECTS: ECONOMICS, ENGINEERING, AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY....Pages 25-51 BENEFITS AND RISKS OF USING FUNGAL TOXINS IN BIOLOGICAL CONTROL....Pages 53-74 BIOCONTROL OF WEEDS WITH ALLELOPATHY: CONVENTIONAL AND TRANSGENIC APPROACHES....Pages 75-85 SELECTING, MONITORING, AND ENHANCING THE PERFORMANCE OF BACTERIAL BIOCONTROL AGENTS: PRINCIPLES, PITFALLS, AND PROGRESS....Pages 87-105 EXPLOITING THE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN FUNGAL ANTAGONISTS, PATHOGENS AND THE PLANT FOR BIOCONTROL....Pages 107-130 THE MECHANISMS AND APPLICATIONS OF SYMBIOTIC OPPORTUNISTIC PLANT SYMBIONTS....Pages 131-155 USING STRAINS OF FUSARIUM OXYSPORUM TO CONTROL FUSARIUM WILTS: DREAM OR REALITY?....Pages 157-177 METARHIZIUM ANISOPLIAE AS A MODEL FOR STUDYING BIOINSECTICIDAL HOST PATHOGEN INTERACTIONS....Pages 179-204 SCLEROTINIA MINOR—BIOCONTROL TARGET OR AGENT?....Pages 205-211 FUSARIUM OXYSPORUM F. SP. STRIGA, ATHLETES FOOT OR ACHILLES HEEL?....Pages 213-222 CONTROL OF SCLEROTIAL PATHOGENS WITH THE MYCOPARASITE CONIOTHYRIUM MINITANS....Pages 223-241 BIOLOGICAL CONTROLS AND THE POTENTIAL OF BIOTECHNOLOGICAL CONTROLS FOR VERTEBRATE PEST SPECIES....Pages 243-265 GENETICALLY ENHANCING THE EFFICACY OF PLANT PATHOGENS FOR CONTROL OF WEEDS....Pages 267-275 INTERACTIONS OF SYNTHETIC HERBICIDES WITH PLANT DISEASE AND MICROBIAL HERBICIDES....Pages 277-296 APPROACHES TO AND SUCCESSES IN DEVELOPING TRANSGENICALLY ENHANCED MYCOHERBICIDES....Pages 297-305 FUNCTIONAL GENOMICS: FUNCTIONAL RECONSTITUTION OF PORTIONS OF THE PROTEOME IN INSECT CELL-LINES....Pages 307-325 TAC–TICS: TRANSPOSON-BASED BIOLOGICAL PEST MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS....Pages 327-351 FAILSAFE MECHANISMS FOR PREVENTING GENE FLOW AND ORGANISM DISPERSAL OF ENHANCED MICROBIAL BIOCONTROL AGENTS....Pages 353-362 EPILOGUE: GETTING FROM HERE TO ETERNITY....Pages 363-363 Back Matter....Pages 365-374

weeds, Insects, Rodents, And Pathogens Are Major Problems In Agricultural And Urban Environments, And There Is A Clear Need To Augment Chemical Methods Of Their Control With Biological Methods. There Has Been Limited Success In Doing So Because Of Insufficient Virulence Of The Host-specific Organisms Used. Naturally Occurring Biological Agents Are In Evolutionary Balance With Their Hosts, And Attaining The Level Of Control Typically Desired Would Lead To Extinction Of Both The Control Agent And Its Host. The Main Scientists Working With Enhancing Fungal, Bacterial, Virus And Insect Biological Control Agents On Different Targets Present The Latest Progress In Overcoming The Barrier Of Insufficient Virulence. This Multi-disciplinary Group, With Backgrounds In Different Aspects Of Biotechnologies And Crop Protection Review Their Own Work And That Of Others, And Describe The Approaches Being Used, The Successes And The Barriers Yet To Overcome In An Integrated Manner. The Chapters Were All Student-tested As Highly Advanced Lectures During A Ten-day Nato Advanced Study Institute To Allow The Other Authors And Attendees To Bring New Ideas, Approaches, And New Methodologies From Different Fields That Were Then Incorporated Into The Chapters.

The main scientists working with enhancing fungal, bacterial, virus and insect biological control agents on different targets present the latest progress in overcoming the barrier of insufficient virulence. This multi-disciplinary group review their own work and that of others, and describe the approaches being used, the successes and the barriers yet to be overcome. There is no up-to-date equivalent work describing biocontrol, let alone enhanced biocontrol.