These reduce the reproductive potential of the plants, curb their dispersal and reduce the follow-up work needed after clearing, while still allowing for the continued utilisation of the plant. This conflict is usually resolved by avoiding biocontrol agents that have the ability of causing damage to the useful part of the plant, and instead using only seed-reducing agents. However, if the target plant is useful in certain situations but becomes a pest when uncontrolled, conflict of interests arises regarding biological control.
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In such projects, scientists may use agents that affect the vegetative parts of the plant as well as agents that reduce seed production. If the aim is to get rid of the invasive plant species, scientists select the types of biocontrol agents causing the most damage that are available. The choice of biocontrol agents depends on the aim of the control project. Biocontrol agents target specific plant organs, such as the vegetative parts of the plant (its leaves, stems or roots) or the reproductive parts (flowers, fruits or seeds). In the control of invasive plants, the biocontrol agents used most frequently are insects, mites and pathogens (disease-causing organisms such as fungi). Natural enemies that are used for biological control are called biocontrol agents. Integrating biological control into weed managementīiological control is an attempt to introduce the plant’s natural enemies to its new habitat, with the assumption that these natural enemies will remove the plant’s competitive advantage until its vigour is reduced to a level comparable to that of the natural vegetation.
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Like other application methods, it does not deal with the residual seed bank in the soil or prevent the invasive plant from re-establishing. The intent is to use large quantities of the agent to attack the target, thereby wiping it out all at once. Inundative biocontrol typically uses pathogens, such as rusts and nematodes, that are applied to the target weed at high rates in a manner similar to herbicide application. Learn more about Invasive Plants under Biocontrol in B.C.As one's population increases or decreases, the other's will follow due to the increased or diminished supply of food, or conversely, feeding pressure.Ĭlassical biocontrol agents may kill the invasive plants directly or indirectly by decreasing reproductive and competitive abilities or plant vigour, which in turn encourages the re-establishment of native vegetation. Under classical biological control an invasive plant will never be eradicated since the biocontrol agent's population will decline after the invasive plant population has been reduced. John's wort is considered under successful biocontrol- its population is cycling in a classical biological control pattern. This method uses natural predators of the invasive plant to establish a long-term balance between the biocontrol organism (agent) and the plant.
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