About SLU Centre for Biological Control, CBC

Last changed: 22 August 2024
A hand touches a small yellow sign among green plants. Photo.

SLU runs SLU Centre for Biological Control (CBC), with a grant from the Swedish government. CBC conducts its own research and collaborate with other researchers in sustainable control strategies. A close cooperation with stakeholders, such as growers, industry, authorities and organisations is an important part of our activities. The centre is virtual with researchers located at different SLU departments in Uppsala and Alnarp.

Examples of our activites:

  • Research on biological control in collaboration with national and international universities and research institutes
  • Organizing national and international conferences on plant protection and biological control
  • Participation in expert panels such as proposals for new national regulations, the EU Comission to define criteria for low risk plant protection products and members EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) working groups.
  • Financing of pilot projects on biological control within SLU
  • A seminar serier on biological control with invited speakers

Steering group

Hanna Friberg (Chairman)
Sara Hallin
Laura Grenville-Briggs Didymus
Velemir Ninkovic

Responsible Head of Department

Nils Högberg (Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology)

Reference group

CBC's seminar series

Past seminars that CBC has arranged in the seminar series on biological control

Comparative genomics of the biocontrol fungus Clonostachys rosea

2024-05-30
Magnus Karlsson, Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, SLU

Effects of tillage on weed regulation by carabid beetles

2023-11-13
Eirini Lamprini Daouti, Department of Crop Production Ecology, SLU

More than “Push” and “Pull”: Plant-soil feedbacks in push-pull cropping systems

2023-05-26
Daniel Mutyambai, International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) & South Eastern Kenya University

Evolutionary ecology of zombieflies

2023-05-15
Henrik Hjarvard de Fine Licht, Associate Professor from the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Copenhagen University, Denmark

Risks and Benefits in Biological Control: Protecting Darwin’s finches from an invasive parasite in the Galapagos Islands

2023-04-04
Professor George Heimpel, Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, USA

Beneficial fungi for the control of mycotoxigenic pathogens on cereals: the case of Trichoderma gamsii vs Fusarium head blight on wheat

2022-06-02
Professor Sabrina Sarrocco, University of Pisa, Italy

Biodiversity and ecosystem services (and disservices!) on organic farms

2021-11-01
Dr. Carmen Blubaugh, University of Georgia, USA
Läs mer om seminariet här.

Reaping the benefits of microorganisms in cropping systems: Is the regulatory policy adequate?

2021-05-11
Professor Ingvar Sundh, Department of Molecular Sciences and SLU Centre for biological control
Read more about the seminar here.

Sensing and regulation of mycotrophic and biotrophic processes in fungal mycoparasites

2021-03-25
Dr. Lea Atanasova, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU)
Read more about the seminar here.

Cyclic lipopeptides produced by Pseudomonas spp.: an untapped reservoir to control plant diseases by direct antagonism and induced resistance

2019-12-05
Professor Monica Höfte, Ghent University

The use of drones in pest control

2019-10-02
Annie Enkegaard, Aarhus University

Symposium on Plant Resistance Ecology

2019-05-16
A half-day seminar on plant resistance Ecology in Alnarp.
See the full program here.

Developing and deploying biological control and bio-pesticide solutions to fight biotic stresses to agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa

2019-04-24
Georg Goergen, IITA Benin

Half-day seminar on biological control in Alnarp

2018-10-04
CBC presented its new operations group with a half-day seminar on biological control. CBC researchers presented their ongoing and future research
Read more about the seminar here.

Half day seminar on biological control in crop protection: present challenges and future prospects

2018-05-23
CBC held a symposium in honor of Dr Margareta Hökeberg who retired after a long and successful career as an internationally recognized expert in the use of bacteria in biological control.
Read more about the seminar here.

Investigating landscape configuration effects on natural enemies, pests, pollinators and their functions: pathways for ecosystem service prediction

Dr. Emily Poppenborg Martin from the University of Würzburgs, Germany.
2018-02-08

Plant biotic interactions in maize agroecosystems

Dr. John Larsen, National Autonomous University of Mexico.
2017-12-18
See the whole seminar on CBC's Facebook page.

The role of secondary endosymbionts on the persistence and control of populations of Sitobion avenae at the field level

Blas Lavandero, Instituto de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidad de Talca, Chile
2017-09-19

Non-target effects and the efficacy of host plant resistance against potato leafhopper, Empoasca fabae

Dr. Cory Straub, Ursinus College, USA
2017-06-21

Understanding mycoparasitism in the biocontrol agent Pythium oligandrum: Towards IPM in potato

Dr. Laura Grenville-Briggs, Department of Plant Protection Biology, SLU
2017-04-20

Natural habitats improve yields: how landscape complexity can increase yield through arthropod-mediated ecosystem services

Dr. Katja Poveda, Cornell University, USA
2016-09-11

Cirsium arvense - economic impact and potential biological control of a European plant in New Zealand

Dr. Graeme Bourdot, AgResearch, New Zeeland
2016-06-14

Quantifying the Value of Urban Vacant Land for Conservation and Ecosystem Services

Dr. Mary Gardiner, Ohio State University, USA
2016-04-07

Crops for tomorrow: opportunities and challenges with microbial application

Dr. Marc Ongena, Liège Universitet, Belgium
2015-06-02

Bacillus thuringiensis – the most successful microbial pest control agent. Ecology and potential risks associated to its use

Dr. Niels Bohse Hendriksen, Aarhus University, Denmark
2015-05-07

Harmonizing biodiversity conservation and agricultural production across tropical countryside

Dr. Daniel Karp, University of California, USA
2014-11-13

Environment-friendly Disinfection Method for Rice Seed Using Steam Condensation Heat

Dr. Takahiro Noda, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), Saitama, Japan
2014-09-15

Spatial and trophic interactions of arthropod generalist predators in conservation biological control

Dr. Klaus Birkhofer, Lund university
2014-02-26

Biocontrol of plant pest, disease and weeds at the Bio-Protection Research Centre in New Zealand

Professor Travis Glare, Director of the Bioprotection Research Centre, Lincoln University, New Zeeland
2013-10-31

Identification of resource bottlenecks in agro-ecosystems and quantifying their impact on biological pest control

Dr. Mark Ramsden, University of Lancaster, UK
2013-09-27

Microbial Products beyond the lab, technology transfer to industry

David Wright, AgReasearch, Lincoln, New Zealand.
2013-06-11

The role of applied sciences in sustainable farm intensification in Africa: push-pull technology as an example

Dr. Charles Midega, ICIPE – African Insect Science for Food and Health
2013-05-02