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GCSE Biology · key term
The use of living organisms to reduce the population of an agricultural pest.
Used by Edexcel and OCR
Specification 4.13B · Paper 1
The use of a living organism, such as a predator or parasite, to reduce the number of a pest species.
Revise: Agricultural SolutionsIn biological control, a farmer uses another organism that preys on or parasitises the pest. Ladybirds eat aphids, which can damage crops; parasitic wasps can be used against whitefly in glasshouse tomato crops. Fewer pests means less crop damage and potentially a greater harvest.
Specification B6.2b · Paper 2 (Foundation), Paper 4 (Higher)
Revise: Agricultural solutionsBiological control uses another living organism to reduce a pest population. For example, introducing or encouraging a predator of a crop-eating insect can reduce feeding damage. Less damage means that more of the crop can be harvested.
Paper 1 (Foundation), Paper 2 (Foundation), Paper 3 (Higher), Paper 4 (Higher)
Using living organisms to reduce a pathogen, pest or vector that helps disease to spread.
Revise: Preventing SpreadBiological control uses another living organism to reduce a pest or vector associated with transmission.
Controlling a pest by introducing or encouraging one of its natural enemies, such as a predator.
Biological control reduces pest numbers rather than necessarily eliminating the pest.
Treat biological control as the use of a natural enemy of a pest, not as the use of a pesticide.
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