Stored products research in Europe – a very personal perspective!

Abstract

The general consensus is that there are about 50 countries in Europe. There are no discrete boundaries and some countries may be both in Europe and another continent. In this short presentation, I want to dip into the history of stored products research over the past 50 years or so in this diverse geographical and political area. It is curious how the emphasis of the research has changed but perhaps more often been cyclical with areas being topical and novel, falling out of fashion, and then being “rediscovered” often with scant recognition for what has gone before. The trap of pretending that there was no research prior to the advent of electronic publication of journals and especially of abstracting services has reinforced the opinion that is apparent in much literature of the past 10-20 years that nothing before about 1970 actually happened. It may also be related to the geographical locations where research is undertaken and the accessibility, often determined by the language, of the research to a global community. The current levels of research activity are driven and limited by funding, political factors and perceived necessity.
These are debatable subjects at best. So, where are the primary targets for research in the future or have the problems really been solved? This presentation will attempt to sample and illustrate how the nature of research may follow advances in methodology, how it has perhaps been a consequence of failure to appreciate what has gone before, and is likely to continue changing with demand. How and where will this be achieved?

Keywords: Food security, Insecticides, Biological control, Insect pests, Fungal infestations.