Fondazione Edmund Mach hosts BREBCA 2026 biological control congress

The Fondazione Edmund Mach (FEM) in San Michele all’Adige, Italy, is hosting the BREBCA 2026 scientific congress from September 14 to 17. Organized by the International Organization for Biological Control (IOBC), the event brings together approximately 80 researchers and experts from various European and non-European countries to discuss the use of natural enemies of harmful insects for crop protection.

The congress focuses on the benefits and risks of using exotic biological control agents, emphasizing management strategies for new emergencies, interactions with native species, and the impacts of climate change and land use. Discussions will also cover the integration of genomics, artificial intelligence, and ecological modeling to enhance the selectivity, safety, and predictive capabilities of biological interventions.

A primary goal of the meeting is to integrate biological control into pest management strategies to reduce reliance on phytosanitary products without introducing new ecological risks. Marco Valerio Rossi Stacconi, a researcher at FEM and organizational lead, noted that the congress aims to facilitate dialogue between research, risk assessment, and field application.