Biological Control Strategies for Pasture Pests
Summary
Biological control strategies for pasture pests employ natural enemies—predators, parasitoids and pathogens—to suppress herbivorous insects and maintain pasture productivity. Classical (importation) biological control introduces co-evolved agents to establish self-sustaining populations, while conservation biological control enhances the efficacy of native or already established agents through habitat management, floral resources and minimised pesticide impact. Success hinges on well-matched host–parasitoid interactions, but long-term outcomes are shaped by evolutionary dynamics such as host resistance, behavioural avoidance and genetic variation. Recent advances in ecological modelling, molecular genetics and experimental microcosms have advanced our understanding of how host plant species, climate-driven selection and genetic diversity influence the persistence and effectiveness of control agents. These insights guide practical applications ranging from targeted parasitoid releases against weevil pests to pasture composition adjustments that favour beneficial arthropods, supporting a global shift towards sustainable, pesticide-reduced livestock production.
Research from Nature Portfolio
No recent Nature Portfolio content available.
Biological Control Strategies for Pasture Pests publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in biological control strategies for pasture pests across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Importation biological control: Introduction of non-native natural enemies to suppress an invasive pest.
Conservation biological control: Enhancement of existing natural enemy populations through habitat and resource management.
Parasitoid: An organism, often a wasp, that develops in or on a host, ultimately causing the host’s death.
Functional response: The relationship between pest density and the rate at which a predator or parasitoid attacks.
Behavioural resistance: Host adaptations in behaviour that reduce susceptibility to biological control agents.
Genetic variance: The diversity of alleles within and between populations that influences adaptive potential.
References
- Behaviour drives contemporary evolution in a failing insect-parasitoid importation biological control programme. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution (2022).
- Plant-Mediated Behavioural Avoidance of a Weevil Towards Its Biological Control Agent. Frontiers in Plant Science (2022).
- Genetic Diversity in Invasive Populations of Argentine Stem Weevil Associated with Adaptation to Biocontrol. Insects (2020).
About these summaries
This Nature Research Intelligence Topic summary is created with the cited references and a large language model. We take care to ground generated text with facts, and have systems in place to gain human feedback on the overall quality of the process in line with our AI principles. We strive to create accurate and useful summaries for people unfamiliar with the research topic and that supports this goal. These pages are a beta release and will be updated as we learn how best to help people gain value from a research topic summary.
Turn complex research questions into confident strategic decisions
When you're under pressure to set direction, justify investment, or understand your competitive position, you need more than raw data — you need trusted insights you can act on.
Benchmark your performance against global peers using robust, methodologically sound analysis.
Combine quantitative metrics with qualitative expert insight to uncover strengths, gaps and emerging opportunities.
Gain tailored, decision-ready recommendations aligned to your strategic priorities.
Talk to us to learn more about our data dashboards and bespoke strategy reports.
Grow research skills, confidence and careers with training built for every stage of the research lifecycle.
Developed with Nature Portfolio journal Editors and internationally renowned experts. Discover three ways to learn:
Self-paced, online courses in convenient bite-sized units, covering key skills across scientific writing, publishing, grant writing, data analysis, and more.
Expert trainer-led workshops with hands-on exercises and real-time feedback across core research skills, delivered via interactive group sessions.
Editor-led workshops combining core principles in writing and publishing, personalised 1:1 feedback from Nature Portfolio Editors and hands-on exercises.
Explore course catalogues and workshop agendas, enquire about the options or request institutional pricing.