COST is an Intergovernmental framework for European CO-operation in Scientific and Technical research. Under this scheme, funding can be made available to support meetings of technical working groups and the production of publications or other communications on specific work areas, with the overall aim of ensuring that Europe remains strong in scientific and technical research. COST Action 842 titled 'Biological Control of Pest Insects and Mites, with Special Reference to Entomophthorales' aimed to improve communication between scientists involved in research on biological control of pest insects and mites, with special reference to the use of insect specific fungi. The action comprised four working groups. Working Group IV was titled 'Biological control of arthropod pests in stored products'. The activities and findings of this Working Group are reported here.
Working Group 4 has held six meetings during its lifetime, most of the meetings with 20-25 delegates. Participants from a total of 13 countries participated in the meetings during the course of the COST Action. Each of the meetings focused on a specific sector related to storage of durables from storage facilities through to processing. The possibilities of developing biological control against the main pests in each sector were discussed and evaluated. Where possible, each meeting included a field trip to a facility of relevance to the specific topic of the meeting, e.g. a grain store, flour mill, bakery or pasta factory. The subjects dealt with at the meetings are described below.
The first meeting took place in September 2001 and was organised by CEFA/IICT in Lisbon, Portugal. This meeting was attended by 10 delegates and served to define the scope of the group's work. It was decided that each of the following meetings would focus on a specific sector in the chain from storage of raw materials, through processing to storage of the processed durable products. The important pests in each sector would be identified and the potential of biocontrol evaluated.
This meeting took place at RICP in Prague, Czech Republic in May 2002. Twenty-two delegates attended the meeting. The specific sector was grain storage: grain production in different countries, type of storage facilities, important pests and pest control methods. Natural enemies of the main pests in grain stores were described and the potential of applying biocontrol in grain stores was evaluated.
In December 2003 18 delegates met in Berlin, Germany, for a meeting organised by BBA. The specific topic was flour mills and bakeries; the production capacity in each country was described, important pests identified and the potential of biocontrol evaluated. In addition, each delegate submitted information that was collated in a general presentation on the legal aspects involved with applying biological control agents in food storage and processing facilities.
The 4th meeting of WG 4 took place in May 2004 in Athens, Greece, with 24 delegates, and was organised by the Agricultural University of Athens. The pests related with storage of nuts, cocoa, spices and dried fruits were described and the potential of biocontrol for this specific sector was evaluated. This meeting included a workshop on storage mite identification.
Twenty-three delegates met in Barcelona, Spain, in October 2004 for a meeting arranged by IRTA. The specific topic was the pest situation in pasta processing and the possibilities of biocontrol in this sector. Furthermore, the group discussed the potential of combining biocontrol as an element of IPM with the principles of HACCP (Hazard Analysis - Critical Control Points) in food processing facilities.
The final meeting of the whole COST Action was held in Locorotondo, Italy in June 2005 and attracted 26 delegates from WG 4. The programme of this meeting contained an important joint session with the three other working groups, during which the potential of using entomopathogens for stored product pest control was presented and discussed.
The COST system contains an opportunity to obtain funding for exchange of expertise through short visits to other research institutes. Seven members of WG 4 used this possibility during the course of the action.