An Essential Tool

Kaua‘i County administrator Russell Messing and colleague Jacques Brodeur of the University of Montreal recently served as guest editors for a special issue of the journal BioControl (vol. 63, no. 1, Feb. 2018) focusing on the current status of biological control theory, research, and implementation

worldwide, with invited contributions from 31 authors from 12 countries. Recent achievements, obstacles, and opportunities for enhancing the discipline were addressed in review articles solicited by the guest editors under the aegis of the International Organization for Biological Control. In addition to editing the overall issue, Russ also contributed two articles: “Current Challenges to the Implementation of Classical Biological Control” and “Trends in Biological Control: Public Interest, International Networking and Research Directions.” One of the salient conclusions emerging from the reviews was that “public education and public support for biological control technology is critical for maintaining the economic, regulatory, and logistical feasibility of this most effective tool for pest management.” Also contributing to the special issue were Mark Wright and Gordon Bennett (PEPS), with an article on “Evolution of Biological Control Agents Following Introduction to New Environments.”