As of January 1 2025, the SLU Centre for Biological Control (CBC) has a new Director. Maria Viketoft, a researcher at the Department of Ecology in Uppsala, takes over from Johan Stenberg.
Maria Viketoft has been part of CBC since July 2018 and has served as Deputy Director since December 2022. Her research focuses on the ecology of nematodes, with a particular interest in how these worms interact with plants—both cultivated crops and wild plants—and other soil organisms.
– Biological control is a crucial component for achieving sustainable agriculture, horticulture, and forestry. Bringing together researchers at CBC who work on various aspects of biological control contributes to the development of the field and creates new opportunities for collaboration and innovative approaches, says Maria.
– I look forward to puting collaboration in focus to disseminate the knowledge about biological control that SLU possesses and will continue to contribute to in the future. I hope that this will lead to increased access to and use of biological control agents. We will also continue the important work of engaging and supporting other SLU researchers in this field, Maria adds.
CBC also welcomes a new deputy director, Ramesh Vetukuri. Ramesh works at the Department of Plant Breeding in Alnarp, where he is developing new and sustainable ways to enhance crop yields and control plant diseases. His focus is on microbes and small RNA molecules that regulate plant traits.
The SLU Centre for Biological Control (CBC) is operated by SLU on behalf of the Swedish government, focusing on controlling harmful organisms using other living organisms. CBC contributes to the sustainable use of biological resources and serves as a competence-driven actor in biological control both nationally and internationally. The centre is virtual, with researchers based at various SLU departments in Uppsala and Alnarp.
maria.viketoft@slu.se, 018 -67 1505