Review on the side effects of pesticides and how to evaluate these effects on Trichogramma in Iran

The egg parasitoid Trichogramma spp is biological control agents of a wide range of agricultural and forests pests. At least 12 species of Trichogramma are commercially used in biological control programs in different countries of the world. These wasps can be reared on secondary hosts more quickly and easily than other biological control agents. So far, 11 species of Trichogramma have been identified from different parts of Iran and some species have reached mass rearing in the country. During the last few decades, different species of Trichogramma have been used in biological control of many pests including carob moth in pomegranate, rice stem borer, codling moth, European corn stem borer and cotton bollworm in different parts of Iran. Chemical control is currently the most important tool in agricultural pest management, the use of hazardous chemical compounds has caused environmental pollution, secondary pest outbreaks, emergence of resistance, threats to human health and adverse effects on non–target organisms. Most conventional pesticides used to control pests are broad–spectrum compounds that kill natural enemy populations similar to the pests. Numerous studies have shown that pesticides used to control pests have many side effects on natural enemies, including changes in growth, development rate, and sex ratio. To evaluate the side effects of pesticides on various biological agents, some standards have been developed by the IOBC. The results of which, in addition to international acceptance, can provide valuable recommendations for use in IPM programs and help to find selected compounds compatible with biological control agents and reduces the use of pesticides. The present article is a review of studies on the side effects of pesticides on different species of Trichogramma wasps in Iran, which is being conducted for the first time and hoped to pave the way for the development of integrated pest control in the country..