The International Organization for Biological Control (IOBC) is a voluntary organization of biocontrol workers. Membership of IOBC gives individual members and organizations the opportunity to participate in biological control activities beyond their specific jobs and workplaces, to step outside their bureaucracies, and to contribute to the promotion of biological control world-wide. IOBC assists communication between biocontrol scientists, through Newsletters, conferences, and specialist Working Groups. As an independent professional organisation, IOBC can be an effective advocate for biocontrol, and influence policy makers and Governments.
IOBC is run through a central Secretariat at Agropolis, 34394 Montpellier Cedex 5, France. The current President is Dr JK Waage of IIBC, UK, and the Vice-Presidents Dr Y Hirose of Kyushu University, Japan, and Dr L Knutson of the USDA in France. Further information can be obtained from the Secretariat; email: IOBC@agropolis.fr
IOBC has 6 Regional Sections: the South and East Asian Regional Section (SEARS); the AfroTropical Regional Section (ATRS); the Neartic Regional Section (NRS); the NeoTropical Regional Section (NTRS); the East Paleartic Regional Section (EPRS); and the West Paleartic Regional Section (WPRS). Each Regional Section has its own President, Vice-Presidents, and Secretary/Treasurer.
There are also 9 Working Groups within IOBC. These are the forums for special interest groups, developed under the IOBC umbrella, and they serve to promote communication between biocontrol workers interested in particular topics. Working Groups may be regional or world-wide, and may hold meetings, specialist conferences or symposia, or communicate through newsletters and email. Currently there are Working Groups on Quality Control of Mass-Reared Arthropods, Biological Control of Plutella, Fruit Flies of Economic Importance, Ecology of Aphidophaga, Chromolaena odorata, Trichogramma and other Egg Parasitoids, Ostrinia and other Maize Pests, Water Hyacinth, and Transgenic Organisms. For further information and contact addresses, contact the IOBC Secretariat.
The IOBC publishes a journal for basic and applied research on all aspects of biological control of invertebrate, vertebrate and weed pests, and plant diseases. This journal is BioControl, published by Kluwer Academic Publishers and with HMT Hokkanen as Editor-in-Chief. Information on BioControl can be found on www.wkap.nl/journalhome.html
IOBC/SEARS IPM in greenhouse crops website http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/iobc
AMRQC (Arthropod Mass Rearing and Quality Control) website www.amrqc.org
SOUTH AND EAST ASIAN REGIONAL SECTION
The South and East Asian Regional Section was formed in 1977. From 1989 to 1992 the President was Dr Y Hirose of Kyushu University, Japan; from 1993 to 1996 the President was Dr R Muniappan of the University of Guam, USA; and currently the President is Dr R McFadyen of the Queensland Department of Natural Resources, Australia. SEARS has between 100 and 150 members, of which 45 are in Japan, 35 in China, and the rest scattered across the region. There is currently a move to change the name to the Asia and the Pacific Regional Section or APRS, which better reflects the actual geographic spread of the Section, as both Australia, New Zealand and countries of the Pacific are included in this regional section.
Because of problems obtaining foreign currency, some countries in the region operate through regional representatives. Members pay subscriptions in local currency to the regional representative, who then forwards the total to the Treasurer as a single amount. This system is followed in Japan and China, and may be used in other countries in the future. The Regional Representative for Japan is Dr Y Hirose, and for China is Dr Fang-Hao Wan of the Biological Control Institute, Beijing. Currently there are few Institutional and no Supporting memberships in SEARS but there is a need for government institutions and other organisations to support IOBC /SEARS in this way.
The wide geographic spread of members has prevented frequent meetings. Individuals meet during other conferences in the region, or national meetings may be held in key countries such as Japan. There is only one Working Group in the Region, on IPM in Glasshouses and Protected Crops. For further information contact Dr S Goodwin at goodwis@agric.nsw.gov.au The Working Group on the weed Chromolaena odorata operates chiefly in the SEARS region. There have been 4 International Workshops on the Biological Control and Management of Chromolaena odorata, in Thailand, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, and India respectively, and the next will be held in South Africa in 2000. For copies of the Workshop Proceedings or further information, contact Dr R Muniappan at muni@uog9.uog.edu The Working Group on Biological Control of Plutella is also active in the SEARS region: for further information contact Dr A Sivapragasam at sivasm@mardi.my
Benefits of membership in IOBC/ SEARS:
subscription to international and regional IOBC newsletters;
contact with and knowledge of other biocontrol workers;
a demonstration of your support for biological control as a scientific discipline.
We cannot accept 2-year subscriptions for BioControlApplication for Membership - Please print and post with payment or signed credit card slip
in
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF NOXIOUS ANIMALS AND PLANTS (IOBC)
SOUTH AND EAST ASIAN REGIONAL SECTION (SEARS)
Membership (check one): _____ NEW _____ RENEWAL
Category of membership (check one):
________ Individual (IOBC/GLOBAL+SEARS) *US$ 20.00 Aus$ 25.00
________ Individual with BioControl (1 year only) *US$ 110.00 Aus$ 170.00
*Our Bank charges Aus$5 on each US$cheque deposited, so fees paid in US$ have been increased accordingly. 2-year individual subscriptions (without BioControl) may be taken for US$35.00 or Aus$50.00.
I enclose Aus / US$ __________ as my membership subscription in the category checked above for the year(s) 1999/ 2000. (MAKE INTERNATIONAL MONEY ORDER OR CHECK PAYABLE TO IOBC SEARS)
Date: ___________________ Signature:__________________________________
NAME (please print or type): ______________________________________________
ADDRESS (please print or type):_____________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Telephone No: _____________________Fax No:_______________________________
E-mail: ______________________________________________________________
Brief Description of Specialty Area: __________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Please add on reverse of this form comments concerning any services or assistance that IOBC/SEARS could/should provide that would be helpful to you.
Please send application form and payment to:
David Holdom, Secretary/Treasurer, IOBC/SEARS
DPI, Meiers Road, Indooroopilly, Q 4068 Australia
PAYMENT BY CREDIT CARD - Please provide card no. and type, expiry date plus a specimen signature.
BANKCARD ___ VISA ___ MASTERCARD ___ OTHER __
CARD NUMBER __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
Amount Paid: Aus$ _______ Signature: __________________________ Expiry date ___/___/___