Biological control has been the core of successful integrated pest management programmes world-wide, particularly for managing pests. It is also the natural choice where protection of the environment is paramount.          The benefits of biological control extend beyond sustainable and higher yield of food, forest products and agricultural produce. In particular, reduction in exposure to hazardous chemicals will protect producers, farmers, consumers and is a great asset to the health of the nation.

Whilst biological control and other biologically based technologies have gained strong impetus in most developed countries, they remain largely unrecognised and untapped in the developing countries in the tropics. This has been the case in spite the many attempts at biological control made in the southeast Asian region. The low implementation rate and limited success in tropical ecosystems could be attributed to the unavailability of expertise, inexperience, inadequate planning, insufficient commitment and limited follow-up studies. Presently the challenges to biological control are further enhanced due to recent regional and global developments with regard to issues such as the working mechanisms of regional networkings, the FAO Code of Conduct for the Importation of Biocontrol Agents,  commercialisation potential, the operations of the Intellectual Property Rights in relation to the Rio Biodiversity Convention of 1992.

Towards efficient biodiversity and bioresource management for effective biological control

VENUE AND DATES

The two day symposium will be held at the Training Centre of the Malaysian Agricultural Research & Development Institute (MARDI) in Serdang, Selangor from 18 - 19 March 1999.

REGISTRATION FEES
 

	Before 31.12.98	After 31.12.98
Local participants    Overseas delegates    Students	RM 150 US$ 100 RM 75	RM 200 US$ 120 RM 100

 
Registration fees will cover symposium materials, one symposium dinner, 2 lunches and 4 teas (morning & afternoon). Payment should be made by bank draft or money order payable to Biological Control Symposium 1999.

CALL FOR PAPERS

Prospective contributors are kindly requested to indicate tentative titles of papers/posters in the attached registration form. Extended abstracts (in English) of not more than 4 pages of A4 size papers should reach the Secretariat not later than 31^st December 1998. Detailed guidelines for the preparation of the abstracts will be sent to those who respond to this announcement.

EXHIBITION

An exhibition is also being planned to enable agencies and companies to display and promote biobased and IPM-compatible technologies and products.

PRE-REGISTRATION

Persons wishing to participate in the symposium are requested to fill in the form attached and mail it before December 31^st , 1998 to:

For more information and updates please visit the symposium websites :–

http://www.mardi.my and
http://www.cabi.org/

 

SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMME

The programme will include invited lectures by prominent speakers and oral as well as poster presentations of offered papers. Two eminent speakers have been invited to deliver their address for the plenary sessions. Prof. Mohd. Yusof Hussein, Vice-President of IOBC/SEARS will be talking on "Managing and exploiting indigenous biodiversity/bioresources for effective biological control: A regional perspective and Malaysia’s initiatives" , while Dr. Jeff Waage, President of IOBC Global will be speaking on "Beyond the

realm of conventional biological control: Harnessing bioresources and developing biologically-based technologies for sustainable pest management ".          The symposium will deal with successes, challenges, problems and shortcomings in biological control of insects, plant (or animal/human) diseases, weeds, vertebrates and molluscs/slugs in the tropics. The use of other biologically-based technologies will also be included and so would the use of micro-organisms and allelochemicals. Papers on issues pertaining to implementation of biological control and its future prospects in the tropics will also be covered.

 

NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR BIOLOGICAL CONTROL - in brief

The council which co-ordinates national R&D in biological control acts as an advisory body in matters of policy and regulations as well as determining the direction and scope of R&D undertaken by the National Biological Control Centre. It spearheads the development and promotion of biological control as a national policy and approach for sustainable development in agriculture,

forestry, environment and human health management. Further, it establishes meaningful frameworks of understanding and co-operation with both national and international agencies for R&D and funding. The Council also disburses and co-ordinates funding to members of national networks, for the purpose of promoting R&D in biological control.         Members of the Council are drawn from research institutions, universities, related government agencies/departments, growers and professional bodies largely involved in biological control.          Since its inception, different technical committees have implemented various biological control activities and one in the pipeline will be the forthcoming symposium and the launching of the National Biological Control Centre in 1999.

 

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

 

Chairman	:	Dr A. Sivapragasam
Secretary	:	Dr Ahmad Anwar Ismail
Treasurer	:	Dr Mohamed Mohd Salleh
Chief Convenor	:	Dr Loke Wai Hong

 
Secretariat Members:
Prof Sariah Meon
Mr Abdul Rahman Harun
Dr Soetikno S. Sastroutomo
Mr Razali Baki

Technical Subcommittee:
Dr Lum Keng Yeang
Prof Yong Hoi Sen
Dr S. Vijaysegaran
Dr Ivor G. Caunter
Dr Jambari Ali

---

Click here for registration form (HTML/Word)