| Summary: | Beneficial macroorganisms belonging to the Arthropoda or Nematoda are key elements of Integrated Pest Management. Whenever plant protection measures have to be taken, selective low-risk pesticides should be given priority in order to minimize any negative side-effects on these beneficials. Natural occurring antagonists should be supported by providing any necessary resources and creating ecological infrastructures in the agricultural landscape. As consequence, suitable agro-environmental schemes are needed to support this functional biodiversity. Today inundative biological control can rely on a plenty of species available for commercial use as essential part of Integrated Production in many crop systems. Nevertheless, increasing insecticide resistance or the occurrence of invasive pests steadily bears new challenges for plant protection. Hence, the huge diversity of beneficial organisms can provide new candidates and new solutions for biological control also in the future.
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