title: Biological control of weeds: research by the United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service: selected case studies.
abstract: Research by the USDA-Agricultural Research Service (ARS) on biological control of weeds has been practiced for many years because of its inherent ecological and economic advantages. Today, it is further driven by ARS adherence to Presidential Executive Order 13112 (3 February 1999) on invasive species and to USDA-ARS policy toward developing technology in support of sustainable agriculture with reduced dependence on non-renewable petrochemical resources. This paper reports examples or case studies selected to demonstrate the traditional or classical approach for biological control programs using Old World arthropods against Tamarix spp, Melaleuca quinquenervia (Cav) ST Blake and Galium spurium L/G aparine L, and the augmentative approach with a native plant pathogen against Pueraria lobata Ohwi = P montana. The examples illustrated various conflicts of interest with endangered species and ecological complexities of arthropods with associated microbes such as nematodes.
authors.affiliation: USDA-ARS (OIRP), European Biological Control Laboratory, Montferrier-sur-Lez, France. cquimby@ars-ebcl.org
authors.forename: Paul C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Quimby
authors.forename: C Jack
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: DeLoach
authors.forename: Susan A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Wineriter
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Goolsby
authors.forename: Rouhollah
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sobhian
authors.forename: C Douglas
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Boyette
authors.forename: Hamed K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Abbas
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D007313:Insecta / Q000254:growth & development*; D010572:Pest Control, Biological / Q000379:methods*; D063245:Plant Development; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000469:parasitology; D010944:Plants / Q000469:parasitology; D012107:Research Design; D014481:United States; D016885:United States Department of Agriculture