Are aphids an impossible problem?

Abstract: Aphids are still one of the most challenging problems in agriculture worldwide. This
impact has increased in recent years: more extreme climatic conditions accelerate their
population growth and the availability of traditionally used chemical pesticides is running out. Therefore, biological control has emerged as the solution. However, growers still struggle to control these pests. Our analysis of the status of available biological control agents indicates that unlike chemical pesticides, natural enemies require precise care and approaches to perform at top of their capacities. To further understand and promote successful aphid control we evaluated multiple biological control agents across a range of scenarios. Our results show the following key findings: (1) aphids are susceptible to infection by entomopathogenic fungi but require timely and precise spray applications; (2) parasitoid wasps, including Aphidius spp. and Aphelinus spp., can effectively reduce aphid populations ,(3) hyperparasitoids can significantly disrupt aphid management if their presence is not monitored and the timely selection of the species is key; (4) predators provide an important complementary effect, particularly in curative interventions; and (5) integrated pest management (IPM) strategies consistently outperform single-agent approaches by combining compatible modes of action. Overall, our aphid-focused research indicates that successful aphid management relies on approaching the pest from multiple solutions and understanding that each species-crop combination must be understood holistically. We conclude that integrated knowledge-based IPM programs offer the most reliable path forward for sustainable aphid management.