Dealing with numerous endemic and invasive pests is a continuous battle for growers, says Oregon State University Horticulture Professor Surendra Dara. Resistance problems, regulatory guidelines, worker safety, and the growing demand for sustainably produced food with safer pesticides are among some of the reasons for the recent increase in the biologicals market, notes Dara, who is also Director of the North Willamette Research & Extension Center in Aurora, OR.

Dara formerly worked for University of California Cooperative Extension on the Central Coast, where he extensively researched the use of biopesticides, especially in the region’s large strawberry industry. He has also traveled to Washington state to learn about practices in that state.

“During my numerous interactions with the growers, crop care professionals, researchers, educators, and ag input industry partners, I noticed that the awareness or the opportunity to use biological solutions such as biocontrol agents and biopesticides varied among the three West Coast states,” he says. “My recent survey in Oregon indicated that there is a significant potential for the use of biologicals and related outreach in Oregon. I am conducting a survey to evaluate the knowledge and use of biocontrol agents and microbial, botanical, and other biopesticides in California.”

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