Professor and Director Oregon State University Corvallis, Oregon
While the use of non-synthetic alternatives in pest management has significantly increased in the recent years, microbial control potential in IPM has considerable growth potential. Compared to conventional or other biological control options, microbial pesticides are generally more expensive and require a good understanding of the products and various strategies for their successful use. Collaboration among researchers, extension educators, microbial pesticide manufacturers, crop care professionals, and growers is necessary to develop practical microbial control solutions based on field research, improve outreach, build trust in microbial control options, and promote their use. Various challenges and opportunities in incorporating microbial control as an important part of specialty crop IPM will be discussed.
