The Use of Telenomus podisi to Manage Stink Bugs on Soybean: The Example of Brazil

Augmentative biological control (ABC) is one of the essential strategies for building more sustainable agriculture, especially in commodities such as soybean, where the use of insecticides has been the subject of much concern over the years. Due to the high potential for parasitism, the egg parasitoid Telenomus podisi Ashmead has been considered one of the main ABC agents of stink bugs, especially Euschistus heros (F.), one of the main pests of soybean, especially in South America. In this context, this chapter presents a review of the current situation of the ABC adopting T. podisi. Despite numerous advantages, parasitoids are living organisms of small size, so it should be taken into account that biotic and abiotic factors can negatively impact this management The challenges related to the correct adoption of the ABC program that need more attention, aiming to reach the highest potential benefits of its use, are discussed, and published results are presented.