The biological control program was started in 1930 in Iran. As classical approach, Novius cardinalis was imported from France to control invasive pest, Iceria purchase, on citrus in Northern provinces. Since then, there has been sporadic importation of a few other natural enemies such as Cryptolaemus montrouzieri, Encarsia berlesei, Trichogramma spp. and Phytoseilus persimilis.

Later on, mass production and release of natural enemies was employed to tackle some native pests. Sunn pest parasitoids were propagated for two decades in Tehran (Varamin) and Esfahan provinces and released on infested wheat fields.

In order to integrate all programs accomplished during more than half a century in biological control research and development, with efforts of the pioneer researcher, Dr. H. Bayat Asadi, Biological Control Research Dept. (BCRD) was established in 1984 under auspice of Iranian Research Institute of Plant Protection. At the beginning, Ms. Rezaei, Mr. Danilai, Mr. Najafi Navaei, Mr. Karimian, Mr. Heidari, Dr. Amirsadeghi, Mr. Ghasemi, Mr. Golboni and Mr. Akbari were the experts working at BCRD. Two important field stations  which are Amol Biocontrol Lab. and Khoshkehdaran Lab. were assigned to BCRD as R&D locations.

So far, hundreds of biocontrol projects have been carried out on collection, identification and introduction of biocontrol agents by BCRD. There are significant achievements on introduction of Trichogramma spp., Bracon hebetor, Cryptolaemus montrouzieri and Chrysoperla carnea and their mass production procedures and technology transfer to private sector. Besides, developments of microbial biocontrol agents such as Bacillus thuringiensis, Beauvaria bassiana, Trichoderma sp. and insect viruses have been emphasized by BCRD.

A decade later (in 1994) approval of a comprehensive national project named Pesticide Use Reduction (Development in the Application of Biological Products and Optimum Utilization of Chemical Fertilizers and Pesticides in Agriculture), directed the BCRD programs and projects in more fruitful way. The instant result was a conspicuous reduction in pesticides application  on rice.

Based on the Resilient Economy strategy as a general policy for the country, BCRD has focused on some significant programs to tackle climate change, water scarcity and new pest emergence and outbreaks while finding solutions for sustainable and healthy crop production. Considering mentioned priorities, a robust midterm plan was proposed to establish biological control system in greenhouse vegetables. Some recent prominent achievements of the plan include development and progress in mass production technical knowledge of Encarsia formosa and Nesidiocoris tenuis as two important natural enemies for protected crop pests. Moreover, a new and efficient predator was recently collected from greenhouses and identified as Coenosia attenuata. In conclusion, BCRD has issued a guideline on introduction of an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) package consisting of native natural enemies, commercial botanical and microbial biocontrol agents (MBAs) and conservation to slash pesticides on protected cultures. The latest research trends of BCRD are formulation of potential microbial biocontrol agents and development of entomopathogenic nematodes for pest control.

BCRD heads since establishment

1-      Dr. H. Bayat Asadi

2-      Mr. M. Daniali

3-      Dr. M. Rezapanah

4-      Dr. Sh. Farrokhi

5-      Mr. H. Javanmoghadam

6-      Dr. H. Askari

7-      Dr. R. Marzban

8-      Dr. J. Shirazi

There are 13 scientists, 7 Lab. experts, 3 technicians and 4 services personnel working at BCRD. In accordance with the national programs on food safety and security,  no pesticide residue crop production, maintaining environment quality, human and animal health and conserving the integrity of all biotic and abiotic elements of ecosystem, BCRD pursues the following research objectives:

1-      Classical and neoclassical biological control for invasive and native pests.

2-      Mass production and release of local natural enemies in order to amend their population in agro ecosystems.

3-      Conservation of natural enemies to achieve economical pest control.

4-      Investigation on cross effects of biological control method with other pest control tools.

5-      Research on the impact of environmental conditions on natural enemies

6-      Study on and introduction of effective bio-product formulation to enhance efficiency of beneficial micro-organisms

7-      Development of biological control based on advanced forecasting methods.

8-      Development of different biocontrol methods utilization in IPM covering various agro ecosystems.

9-      Identification and introduction of epiphyte and endophyte micro–organisms of endemic plants in order to establish plant disease biocontrol

10-  Evaluation of endemic micro-organisms induced plant resistance.

11-  Application of bacteria and fungi to bio-refine polluted soil.

12-  Identification of viruses infecting fungi and bacteriophages

• Introduction of macro natural enemies including Trichogramma spp., Bracon hebetor,Cryptolaemus montrouzieri,Chrysoperla carnea, Encarsia berlesei, and Telenomus boseuole and a few microbial biocontrol agents viz. Bacillus thuringiensis, Baeuveria bassiana, Trichoderma harzianum, Cydia pomonella granolusis virus and Helicoverpa armigera NPV to private sectors. Totally, there are about 130 insectaria and 5 microbial biocontrol agent production companies in the country.
• Establishment of QC protocols for macro and micro biocontrol agents available in commercial form to provide Plant Protection Organization (PPO) with information to issue release permission.
• Maintaining a live bank of macro and micro biocontrol agents.
• Preparing guidelines and standards for native natural enemies QC.
• Publishing technical handouts and extension brochures.
• Registering Journal of Biological Control in Plant Protection to encourage and boost scientific publication of biocontrol subjects.
• Membership of International Organization for Biological Control (IOBC / WPRS)
•    Establishment of protocol for pesticide side effects evaluation based on IOBC / WPRS guidelines and standards.

• Designing, proposing and execution of plans and projects on all aspects of pest biological control at national, regional and international levels.
• Collection and preservation of parasitoids, predators and beneficial micro-organisms genetic sources.
• Rendering technical knowledge of biological control agents’ mass production at large scale with applied approach.
• Quality control tests for all biocontrol agents and products.
• Supporting research demands of academic institutes and centers, universities and peer executive organizations in pest biocontrol issues.
• Relationship and cooperation with national and international bodies in biocontrol fields and providing them with scientific literature and information to execute joint research projects approved under formal contracts and MOUs.
• Supervision of graduate students’ research projects.
• Holding education workshop and courses for university students and private sector experts.
• Empowering farmers, extension officers, field scouts, IPM experts, plant protection clinic workers and junior researchers to enable them in pest biocontrol studies and decision making.
• Providing information (consultation)       on biocontrol product registration to promote and encourage private sectors investment on new biocontrol agents and products.
• Hosting Organic Center of Excellence Office.
• Hosting Iranian National Association of Biological Control Producers office.

1-      Parasitoids Research Lab.

2-      Predators Research Lab.

3-      Beneficial Micro-organisms Research Lab.

4-      Beneficial Organisms Research Lab.

5-      R&D Lab.

6-      Molecular Insect Virology and Biotechnology Lab.

7-      Amol Biological Control Research Lab (Field station).