Green ants as biological control agents in agroforestry.

Abstract

The negative impact of insect pests on agroforestry trees is often so great that remedial activity is desirable. Some control methods are effective in increasing tree performance, but they are generally too costly. For some important insect pests, no effective methods exist. The green ant controls over 50 pest species in tropical crops or trees. Given the feeding behaviour of insect pests in agroforestry, green ants are likely to be effective in controlling many pests. The project will test the control efficiency of green ants on the main insect pests and develop a cost-effective and sustainable tree-ant farming system.