Inoculative biological control

Definition

A strategy in biological control where a sufficient number of beneficial organisms are released into an environment to establish and maintain a population that controls the target pest.

Etymology

From Latin 'inoculare', meaning 'to graft or implant', which is derived from 'in-' meaning 'in' and 'oculus' meaning 'eye, bud'.

Example

Inoculative releases of parasitic wasps have been used to control populations of agricultural pests.

Related Terms

• Biological control
• Release
• Establishment

Usage Notes

Inoculative releases aim for long-term pest suppression through the establishment of a self-sustaining beneficial organism population.