The development of ideas in biological control applied to forest products

After giving an overview of biological control agents and their application to forest products, the review considers the main biocontrol mechanisms th at are thought to operate in wood. Competition for nutrients, antibiosis, m ycoparasitism and production of extracellular enzymes have all been implica ted in the biological control of wood decay fungi, although the relative im portance of these potential mechanisms in vivo remains obscure. Attempts at biologically controlling basidiomycetes in forest products on a commercial scale have met with limited success and the environmental factors influenc ing efficacy are reviewed. It is concluded that the chances of achieving su ccessful biocontrol of decay rely as much on appreciating the limitations o f biological treatments as upon a comprehensive understanding of the mechan isms involved. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.