We are a group of entomologists from different parts of the world working on topics related to biological control (i.e., the use of organisms to control the populations of pests). In particular we are interested in the use of insect predators and parasites to control insect pests in agriculture. Our aim is to combine theoretical and empirical knowledge to improve the use of this practice while reducing damage to crops and the use of harmful pesticides. For this we have gathered for several month to work together, and promote innovative ideas in this field. Our group is funded by the Institute of Advanced Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. As part of our activities we are visiting different sites and experts throughout the country. During our trip to the north, we visited the Newe Ya’ar research station and Model Farm for Sustainable Agriculture on March 6, 2022. We met with applied researchers of biological control from the region, introduced our project to them and learned how their research systems may benefit from mathematical modeling. We hope that this visit will promote future research collaborations between our group and practitioners of sustainable agriculture.
