Advances in Biological Control: Integrating Bioinputs into Modern Integrated Pest Management

Dear Colleagues,

The adoption of augmentative biological control to mitigate crop damage caused by arthropods has significantly increased worldwide in recent years. In addition to augmentative methods, both conservation and classical biological control strategies play vital roles in reducing reliance on chemical insecticides, thereby enhancing agricultural sustainability and food security. Biological control is not only capable of slowing pest population growth, but it also helps maintain pest densities below economic injury levels, quite often even eliminating the need for chemical intervention. However, it is crucial to integrate these strategies within the broader context of Integrated Pest Management (IPM). The adoption of IPM considerably increases the likelihood of biological control success; conversely, biological control is essential for the effectiveness of IPM. Therefore, disruptive research on the production, introduction, and application of biocontrol agents across various agroecosystems, as well as on conservation strategies, is urgently needed. Consequently, this Special Issue welcomes submissions on the latest innovations in classical, conservation, and augmentative biological control, especially those combined with IPM to sustainably manage pest outbreaks. We seek scientific publications that bridge the gap from laboratory to field, helping to shape the future of food production in modern agriculture.

Dr. Adeney De Freitas Bueno
Dr. Yelitza Colmenarez
Dr. Weidson Plauter Sutil
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the Special Issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Insects is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.