Designing natural enemy cocktails for a better biocontrol – ENEMYCOCKTAIL

Biocontrol is usually enhanced at higher natural enemy diversity, but an important challenge is to know which natural enemy cocktails (i.e. combinations) are best to control pests. The positive effect of enemy diversity on biocontrol emerges when natural enemies complement each other (the “complementarity effect”). This effect can be dampened when enemies engage in antagonistic interactions (the “antagonistic effect”). Intraguild predation occurs when two predators that share a prey also feed on each other, and is one of the antagonistic interactions that worries biocontrol stakeholders the most. The conditions under which complementarity and intraguild predation promote or impair biocontrol are little understood, and conclusive experimental evidence that tests the relative role of these two opposing forces is lacking. The overarching aim of this project is to uncover the interacting effect of complementarity and intraguild predation between natural enemies as drivers of successful biocontrol. This will allow us to design natural enemy cocktails to be tested in commercial greenhouses. This project is structured in three axes, (i) the first is experimental and will be developed at the UMR CBGP (Centre pour la Biologie et la Gestion des Populations) in Montpellier. (ii) The second will be developed at ISEM (Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution de Montpellier) in Montpellier and will use data from experiments to build theoretical models to better understand species interactions. (iii) Based on the experiments and theory we will select the best enemy cocktails, which will be mass produced and tested in commercial greenhouses by Biobest France, the industrial partner. This project will provide new breakthroughs in insect ecology, and will also provide a roadmap for the selection of natural enemies in biocontrol. Better biocontrol technologies will reduce chemical inputs in agriculture, a key element for a fair, healthy and an environmentally-friendly food system.