International Pest Control – May/June 2018 – Vol 60, Nr.3

IPCadmin | August 13, 2018

Cover Image: The mosquito is part of the IPC logo and for good reasons; as a vector of malaria in 2013 it contributed to around 855,000 deaths in Sub-Sahara Africa alone. In this issue we look at the role of the SAS in the development of bed nets as well as the latest ideas on the impact of invasive plant species on mosquito populations.

This is my first issue in the role of editor and I have to say it has been an exciting experience! After five years of successfully editing IPC and keeping it relevant to the industry David had to handover the editorship earlier than expected. The whole team at the magazine appreciate his efforts over the past five years and we hope to hear from him in future issues.

Not only have I had to dust off my editorial skills, I have also had to learn about aspects of pest control that are entirely new to me. We have covered a lot of ground in this issue. One of the big news stories of early June was the final chapter in Bayer’s acquisition of Monsanto. A few years ago, it would have been hard to imagine that the Monsanto name would disappear.

In our 60-year feature our technical consultant Graham Matthews looks back on his experience working on cotton in Central Africa and to an era when all technical information had to be communicated in print. While the smartphone, tablet and the internet have dramatically changed the ways we can communicate we like to think there is still a role for print!

Our special feature this month is on Resistance and Rotation and we have two articles, one looking at the role of biorationals in product rotation and another at the future control of resistant pests by the use of CRISPR gene editing techniques to modify the susceptibility of pest populations.

In Public Health we consider the next generation service technician – not a bionic operative but one who is well trained and who makes effective use of the pest control tools available while minimising the amount of pesticide used.

A biodegradable film has just won a USD100,000 Future Food Asia award. The use of the film appears to have had a significant impact on crop yield by allowing the plants to establish early in warmer soil and protect them from drought stress.

Technical Consultant Terry Mabbett looks back 45 years at Angular Leaf Spot control in cucumber and he also looks forward to the impact of Xyella Fastidiosa on the future of plant health in the UK. He finishes with an article on another problem for forestry; Chestnut Blight, with a timeline of its introduction and spread in the UK.

Finally, we should mention the obituary to Doug Howick in Association News. Doug was a regular contributor to the magazine and always kept us up to date with the activities of FAOPMA. His contribution to the world of termite control will be greatly missed.

We remain happy to receive articles for publication, whether they are a look back at the past 60 years of pest control or look forward to the use of an exciting new technology. In our September/October issue we will be focusing on Integrated Pest Management and in December/November we will end the year with a look at the Future of Pest Control. Of course, we also welcome articles for any of our regular sections.

Chris Endacott, Editor International Pest Control magazine
Email Chris on editor@international-pest-control.com

The publishers would like to thank David Loughlin for all his efforts over the last 5 years. During his time as editor, the magazine has evolved, and much of the credit for that must go to David for his enthusiasm and for his commitment to bringing a new look to the magazine. David has now decided to concentrate on his distribution business and we wish him every success for the future. However, we do hope that David will continue to be a contributor to IPC in the future.

We would like to welcome Chris Endacott as the new Editor and also pleased to welcome Assistant Editor Jackie Wales to the IPC team. There will be more information on the new members of the team in up coming issue.