DeVine®—The Way It Was Developed—An Industrialist's View

Abstract

The use of biological control agents for the control of noxious pests is not new conceptual research. There are examples that predate by centuries the modern use of both herbicides and insecticides. For example, the successful control of insects by biological control was shown in 1762 by the introduction of the Mynah bird (Gracula religiosa Linnaeus) from India to Mauritius (4). In 1888, the Vedalia beetle (Rodolia cardinalis Muslant) was introduced to control the cottony-cushion scale (Icerya purchasi Maskell) of citrus (3). An example of biological control of weeds was reported in 1863 when it was observed that an infestation of prickly pear cactus (Opuntia humifusa Raf. # OPUHU) was decimated by the imported cochineal insect (Dactylopius tomentosus Lam.) (5).