Management of pests is mainly by chemicals. The very extensive acreage under crops and the frequent need for chemical protection in order to prevent the pests exceeding the economic damage thresholds has resulted in many pests becoming resistant to pesticides. This results in big crop losses and a reduction in the use and sales of the less effective insecticides.

BTL assists industry and government institutions to investigate the occurrence and mechanisms of resistance in a number of pests. BTL has expertise in the evaluation of the LD50s of a wide range of pest species (i.e. Acari, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Sternorrhyncha and Thysanoptera) and an international reputation in this area of testing, which is done in the laboratory using bioassays. In some cases specific protocols were developed for these studies. To fulfil this requirement BTL has well equipped facilities and offers state-of-the-art services.

For additional information please contact BTL.

Pests

BTL has developed methods to carry out "Baseline Studies" on pesticide resistences of different types of animal pests like thrips, aphids, pollen beetles (Meligethes aeneus), potato beetles (Leptinotarsa decemlineata) and codling moth (Cydia pomonella).

Partners:

- Federal Biological Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry (BBA)
- Pest Management Service Danmark
- agrochemical companies

Plants

BTL is involved in the breeding of crops resistant to pests. The analyses are done using laboratory or greenhouse-based bioassays and field trials. If necessary, BTL will develop specific protocols for such studies. BTL has carried out analyses of resistances / tolerances of different crops to animal pests for the following partners:

- Federal Biological Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry (BBA)
- Private plant breeders

In addition, BTL has studied the mechanisms for transferring resistance to viral and fungal diseases from wild species of the genus Solanum into potato cultivars.

Partners have been:

- Federal Biological Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry (BBA)
- Federal Centre for Breeding Research on Cultivated Plants (BAZ), Quedlinburg
- "Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique" (INRA), Le Rheu