CAS 1 - Topic 2: Crop Nutrition

CAS 2 - Topic 5: Statistics & Experimental Design

CAS 3 - Topic 4: Classical biocontrol

Crop Health Advisor, CABI-Switzerland

Scientific background and interests: I have over 25 years of experience working in sustainable agriculture, integrated crop management and biological control. As a research scientist/research manager I conducted and coordinated studies on biological control and integrated pest management of agricultural insect pests of fruits, vegetables and field crops such as rice and maize. I have organized international meetings, supervised international BSc, MSc and PhD students and authored numerous scientific publications. In my role as an advisor for integrated crop management I am working in various developing, transitional and developed countries, facilitating the improvement of agricultural practices, reducing poverty and increasing food security. Partnering with farmers, extension workers, researchers, policy-makers in national governments and inter-governmental organizations and other plant protection stakeholders I facilitate the development and implementation of sustainable solutions to agricultural problems, particularly aiming to reduce the use of pesticides, improving fertilization schemes and fostering the use of biological control. I manage and develop collaborative international projects in the mass production and use of biological control as a component of integrated pest management. Furthermore, an important part of my project work is on capacity building, targeting farmers, extension staff, scientists and students. This includes the implementation of lectures on integrated pest management, experimental design and statistics at the University of Korca, Albania and Pyongyang Agricultural University in DPR Korea.

Webpage: https://www.cabi.org/cabi-people/dirk-babendreier/