Plant Pathogen / Insect Interations Insect- Pathogen Synergisms are the Foundation

Keystone works in the field of weed biological control were the pioneering studies by Australian workers leading to the control of Opuntia and Hypericum. While in these efforts, the pattern was set for how subsequent progjects would be conducted, a key ele-ment in their success has been ignored: synergism with plant pathogens. Insect/microbial interactions leading to high ecological impact and/or great economic losses have been documented and are imparted in the curriculum of the education of entomologists and plant pathologists: forest tree diseases, nematodes and soilborne fungi, insect vectoring of viruses and endosymbionts of insects. Practitioners in the field of biological weed control routinely ignore how the origins of weed biocontrol are founded on insect/pathogen syn-ergisms and how these prominent interactions might provide models for improving weed biocontrol. There is ample opportunity and need to improve frequency of success and level of impact in weed biocontrol. There is ample opportunity and need to improve fre-quence of success and level of impact in weed biocontrol and the study of how synergisms might be better assured are needed. With increasing regulatory-based strictures on tradi-tional methods based on widescale searches, host range testing and releases of multiple agents for