The importance of insect pest biocontrol for maize production: an expert survey

ABSTRACT Maize is the most important staple crop in the world; 1.15 billion tons were produced in 2019. Insect herbivores cause significant damage for maize production, and as a result, global pesticide use has increased over the last 20 years causing severe environmental degradation and negative impacts on human health. Today, there is a trend toward including more sustainable management practices that are less harmful to biodiversity and human health. One such a practice is the use of natural enemies to regulate pest populations using conservation biocontrol or introduction of biocontrol agents. These practices have been in place for several decades in different cultivation systems and regions throughout the world, however; information about the effects of more sustainable management practices on maize production is scarce. We conducted an expert assessment to evaluate whether there are any general trends or consensus about the importance of biocontrol for maize production globally. We compiled information from 70 experts from 28 different countries using an online survey. Of those surveyed, 91% of experts agreed that biocontrol was important for maize production regardless the type of maize they study, the final harvest destination or crop use, or management regime. Using the information obtained, we identify several opportunities for engaging with farmers in order to use biocontrol as a tool toward agricultural sustainability. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT