Biological Control and Integrated Pest Management in Greenhouse Crops and Adaptation to Climate Change

Biological control is the use of natural enemies (predators, parasites, parasitoids and pathogens) or beneficial agents to manage a pest. Biological control is used as part of an integrated pest management (IPM) programme where evidence-based biological control measures are used in conjunction with other IPM measures. Greenhouse crops are high-value agricultural produce which are dependent on appropriate production factors, such as water, light, soil and temperature. Many specialized crops are grown in structurally evolved and well-managed greenhouse environments and they can be excellent indicators of the quality of production. The impact of climate change means that the management of greenhouse crops must undergo appropriate changes, both in terms of localization of production and in phytosanitary management, including biological control. This chapter explains in detail the possible effects of climate change on IPM, the application of traditional and biological control measures, and proposes strategies and potential technical means (orientation, whitening, resource management, choice of transplant, specific use of natural enemies) to mitigate the effects of global warming on greenhouse crops.