ChileanJAR

An analytical study on the biological control of agricultural pests in Chile, officialy initiated in 1915, is presented. All instances of introductions of beneficial species are consiclerecl, inclucling these for insects ancl mites as well as those for weeels. A preliminary evaluation of the establishment and degree of effectiveness of beneficial species inclicates that of the 51 species introeluced since 1903, two cases of complete control have been achieved, eight are consielerecl to be substancial, twelve are partial, and the remainder were either not established, nat evaluated or have not yet been released. Also listed are exotic species not deliberately introcluced, which act in supplement to the others. The contribution of Chile in supplying biological control agents to other countries is also revised. In addition an analysis is made of the perspective of biological control of pests in Chile, ami the feasibility of harmonizing this with chemical methods of control through integration of the two systems.