
Maria Viketoft is the new Director of SLU Centre for biological control
As of January 1 2025, the SLU Centre for Biological Control (CBC) has a new Director. Maria Viketoft, a researcher at the Department of Ecology in Uppsala, takes over from Johan Stenberg.
Maria Viketoft has been part of CBC since July 2018 and has served as Deputy Director since December 2022. Her research focuses on the ecology of nematodes, with a particular interest in how these worms interact with plants—both cultivated crops and wild plants—and other soil organisms.
– Biological control is a crucial component for achieving sustainable agriculture, horticulture, and forestry. Bringing together researchers at CBC who work on various aspects of biological control contributes to the development of the field and creates new opportunities for collaboration and innovative approaches, says Maria.
Collaboration to increase access and use of biocontrol agents
– I look forward to puting collaboration in focus to disseminate the knowledge about biological control that SLU possesses and will continue to contribute to in the future. I hope that this will lead to increased access to and use of biological control agents. We will also continue the important work of engaging and supporting other SLU researchers in this field, Maria adds.
CBC also welcomes a new deputy director, Ramesh Vetukuri. Ramesh works at the Department of Plant Breeding in Alnarp, where he is developing new and sustainable ways to enhance crop yields and control plant diseases. His focus is on microbes and small RNA molecules that regulate plant traits.
The SLU Centre for Biological Control, CBC
The SLU Centre for Biological Control (CBC for short) is run by SLU and consists of five researchers. They are engaged in research, education, policy development, and communication to stimulate the development and implementation of biological control, and are working in close collaboration with various stakeholders. A communications manager is also linked to the Centre.
Biological control is a collective term for strategies to combat troublesome pests and pathogens using beneficial live organisms: as such it is often an important component of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies for plant production. Biological control has great potential to restrict the damage caused by harmful organisms, including pest insects and plant pathogens.
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