Eikenprocessierups, buxusmot en mug. Er zijn genoeg plagen die ons de kriebels kunnen bezorgen. Maar veel meer insectensoorten zijn juist onmisbaar en verdienen aandacht omdat het slecht met ze gaat. Die twee uitersten hebben meer met elkaar te maken dan je denkt, stelt Jetske de Boer. Sinds 2020 werkt zij als lector Insecten & Maatschappij bij Aeres Hogeschool Wageningen én het Nederlands Instituut voor Ecologie (NIOO-KNAW) aan praktische oplossingen.

Parasitoids are key natural enemies that contribute to biological control of economically important pests in both agricultural and natural ecosystems. They are however not always efficient in finding the pest insect in the greenhouse because the (mass-)rearing conditions differ from the greenhouse environment in which they are released. This reduces parasitoid motivation and efficiency to search for herbivore insect pests.

Inoculation of plants or soil with consortia of beneficial soil organisms is a increasing practiced to boost plant nutrition and defense in sustainable agriculture and horticulture, thereby reducing the need for high input of fertilizers and pesticides.

Beneficial soil microbes can enhance plant nutrition and plant defense.

Billions of microorganisms live and die in the soil beneath our feet, affecting soil carbon storage and its release to the atmosphere. This project investigates how viruses drive bacterial death and the fate of bacterial remains, to better understand how soil can contribute to maintaining a healthy climate.

Through association with beneficial bacteria and fungi, plants can express increased growth via improved nutrient uptake, disease resistance, and abiotic stress tolerance. Such microbe-mediated plant traits could be important for ecological adaptation and crop improvement, but natural or artificial selection can only shape these traits if genetic variation exists

Urban environments are ever expanding and differ markedly from natural and rural ecosystems. Cities are good test cases for the adaptive capacity of plants and animals in a rapidly changing world.