Willem Takken's research
After the Second World War much entomological research was undertaken from the concept that most pest problems caused by insects could be solved by application of insecticides.
Research
Chemical control was considered cheap, effective and safe. It is now realized that this approach was non-sustainable. Already in the early days of chemical control the Laboratory of Entomology choose a different approach for its research, with emphasis on alternative methods of control. Initially the research focused on insect physiology i.e. hormonal regulation of insect development and resulted in the discovery of insect growth regulators as modern and selective control agents. Subsequently much work was done (and continues to be done) on the physiology of insect/plant interactions and the ecology of parasite/host and predator/prey interactions. In the last decade research on arthropod vectors of human and animal diseases complemented the research at the Laboratory.
The Laboratory of Entomology conducts fundamental and applied research. Fundamental scientific research concerns 5 topics:
- Host plant selection by herbivorous insects and mites;
- Chemical communication between plants and carnivorous insects and mites;
- Foraging behaviour of predators and parasitoids;
- Population dynamics of parasitoids
- Evolutionary ecology of asexual reproduction in insects.
Applied research is narrowly associated with the fundamental research, and includes the following topics:
- Development of biological and integrated pest management in greenhouses, orchards and field crops;
- Mechanisms of host-plant resistance;
- Biological and integrated control of pests and vectors in the tropics
Publications
-
Bluetongue, Schmallenberg - what is next? Culicoides-borne viral diseases in the 21st Century
BMC Veterinary Research (2014), Volume: 10 - ISSN 1746-6148 -
Measuring outcomes of the first trial of odour-baited mosquito traps for malaria control using a state of the art health and demographic surveillance system
Malaria Journal (2014), Volume: 13, Issue: Suppl.1 - ISSN 1475-2875 -
Development and optimization of the Suna trap as a tool for mosquito monitoring and control
Malaria Journal (2014), Volume: 13 - ISSN 1475-2875 -
Circulation of four Anaplasma phagocytophilum ecotypes in Europe
Parasites & Vectors (2014), Volume: 7, Issue: 1 - ISSN 1756-3305 -
Molasses as a source of carbon dioxide for attracting the malaria mosquitoes Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles funestus
Malaria Journal (2014), Volume: 13 - ISSN 1475-2875 -
A push-pull system to reduce house entry of malaria mosquitoes
Malaria Journal (2014), Volume: 13 - ISSN 1475-2875 -
Evaluation of textile substrates for dispensing synthetic attractants for malaria mosquitoes
Parasites & Vectors (2014), Volume: 7 - ISSN 1756-3305 -
Spatial heterogeneity of malaria vectors and malaria transmission risk estimated using odour-baited mosquito traps
Malaria Journal (2014), Volume: 13, Issue: Suppl 1 - ISSN 1475-2875 -
Tracking the mutual shaping of the technical and social dimensions of solar-powered mosquito trapping systems (SMoTS) for malaria control on Rusinga Island, western Kenya
Parasites & Vectors (2014), Volume: 7 - ISSN 1756-3305 -
Assessing the efficacy of candidate mosquito repellents against the background of an attractive source that mimics a human host
Medical and Veterinary Entomology (2014), Volume: 28, Issue: 4 - ISSN 0269-283X - p. 407-413.