The issue of environmental pollution has garnered increasing attention and support at both regional and international levels. The excessive and indiscriminate use of non-specialized chemical pesticides as the sole method of agricultural pest management, which has persisted since the 1950s to the present day, has exacerbated ecological problems and disrupted the natural balance that has existed since the beginning of creation. This approach has led to the destruction of beneficial organisms, contamination of water sources, and direct and indirect risks to human and animal health. This is particularly concerning given that 75% of commonly used pesticides are carcinogenic or tumor-inducing substances that can cause birth defects.
In light of the significant scientific advancements in adopting and developing alternative pest control programs, which have achieved remarkable success in most countries worldwide, including Iraq’s neighboring countries, and given that the College of Agriculture at the University of Baghdad is one of the leading scientific institutions in agricultural development, the Biological Control Research Unit was established for the first time in Iraq under Ministerial Order / Research and Development Department No. T/495 on March 23, 2005. The unit’s activities focus on the following:
  1. Rearing and Releasing Beneficial Organisms:
    • Breeding and quantitatively releasing local and imported biological control agents, including efficient parasitoids and predators.
  2. Development of Bio-Pesticides:
    • Researching and producing fungal, bacterial, and viral bio-pesticides.
  3. Botanical Pesticides:
    • Studying and producing plant-based pesticides (Botanical Pesticides).