Cottage Industry of Biocontrol Agents and Their Applications : Practical Aspects to Deal Biologically with Pests and Stresses Facing Strategic Crops

This book analyses the mass production and application of biological control products for biotic and abiotic factors affecting agricultural production. It also describes how to develop sustainable agriculture under Egyptian conditions. The book is divided into four parts covering: 1) mass production of parasitoids, insects and mite predators, 2) mass production of the microbial control agents for managing insect pests, 3) biocontrol products for plant diseases, and 4) bioproducts against abiotic factors. It discusses various methods of controlling insect pests and plant diseases in order to increase agricultural production, improve the quality of field crops and reduce the food gap by applying a range of technologies. This book helps increase our understanding and awareness of how to produce healthy products for local consumption and utilization as well as for exports.

Prof. Dr. Nabil El-Wakeil is professor of Biological Control of insects in National Research Centre (NRC) and he is the Contact person of the current work.  Dr. El-Wakeil was born in 1969 in Tanta, Egypt. In 1991, he completed his academic degree in Agricultural sciences in Menofyia University, Egypt with a major in Economic Entomology. Dr. El-Wakeil completed his doctorate in 2003 at Department of Entomology, University of Goettingen, Germany. May 2003 to June 2010, as well from January 2016 to June 2018, he was working in local and international projects dealing with producing and applying the biocontrol agents for managing many insects in NRC (Pests and Plant Protection dept.) in Cairo, Egypt. July 2010 to December 2015, as well from July 2018 to present Dr. El-Wakeil had a Post doc fellow in Martin Luther- Halle University. He had published more 40 publications in International journals as well as contributed to write 12 book chapters with different publishers and someArabic essays. He is a reviewer for more than 20 scientific journals. Dr. El-Wakeil is a member of the scientific committee of several national and international projects and societies.

Prof. Dr. Mahmoud M. E. Saleh is Professor of Entomology, Department of Pests and Plant Protection, National Research Center (NRC), Dokki, Cairo, Egypt. He has spent almost forty years as a research entomologist. He is expert of insect nematology, Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD), Project of Biological Control of the Red Palm Weevil in Arab Gulf Counties1999-2007. He had studied in Iowa State University, USA, 1990-1991 for his Ph.D. work through "USA-Egypt Fellowship Program" as well as European Commission, a Scholarship for teaching and research in European Master of Science in nematology (EUMAINE) in Gent University, Belgium and Kiel University, Germany April-June 2011. He worked as project evaluator: EU–Egypt Innovation Fund, Research, Development and Innovation Program ( since 2008. He had supervised several MSc and PhD students in Egyptian Universities in the area of plant protection and entomopathogenic nematodes. He had published over fifty research papers, book chapters and Arabic essays. He has managed many local and participated in many international research projects in the area of biological pest control.

Dr. Mohamed Abu-hashim is the Associate partner of EXCEED - SWINDON - Middle East North Africa  program "International Network on Sustainable Water and Environmental Management in Developing Countries. Dr. Abuhashim is the manager of Technology Transfer Office (TTO), and the Director of Project Management Unit, F. Ag., Zagazig University. Dr. Abuhashim received his Ph.D. in the field of Water Resource Management from the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science, TU- Braunschweig, Germany. Main subject: Hydrology modelling, Geoecology, Subsidiary subjects: water resource management, environmental rik assessment,  and soil sciences. Currently Dr. Abuhashim works in several national and international projects; Director and the coordinator of the internatioatioal afforestoration project in MENA region "Development of salt tolerant agricultural practices and afforestation for bioremediation and CO2 sequestration in the Middle East Region" Dr. Abuhashim is the Egyptian coordinator of the ERANETMED project funded by EU with the title "Decentralized treatment wetlands for sustainable water management in rural and remote areas of semi-arid regions" with cooperation with several countries. Dr. Abuhashim is the Principal Investigator of Zagazig University for TEMPUS Project entitled: Establish a new joint master degree in biotechnology applied to Agri-science, environment and pharmacology. 543865-TEMPUS-1-2013-1-EG-TEMPUS-JPCR. Dr. Abuhashim published several papers related using remote sensing and GIS technique in fields of climate changes and water resource management in Egypt and working in the current time in the western north of Germany, in the city of Braunschweig.