IOBC-WPRS and Wageningen University & Research are Excited to Welcome You to the Netherlands!

We are pleased to announce that the International Organisation for Biological Control – West Palearctic Regional Section (IOBC-WPRS) Working Group “Integrated Control in Protected Crops, Temperate Climate” will hold its next meeting in Boskoop, The Netherlands from 31 August to 3 September 2026.

This IOBC Greenhouse Working Group meets every three years and focuses on IPM and in particular biological control of pests and diseases in the temperate climate zone of the greenhouse sector. The last meeting was held in Brest, France, which was a joint meeting with the IOBC Mediterranean Greenhouse WG. The aim of our working group meeting is to inform and inspire each other about the latest developments in IPM and biological pest and disease control in the greenhouse sector. Our meetings are usually attended by a mix of scientists, PhD candidates, students, advisors and producers of beneficials who work both in vegetable and ornamental crops.

This 18th meeting of this WG is organised by the entomology team of the Business Unit Greenhouse Horticulture of Wageningen University & Research. In addition to thematic scientific sessions, participants can look forward to an exciting full-day excursion to visit various modern greenhouse companies. The Netherlands is well known for its modern and high tech greenhouse sector with approximately 10,000 ha of both vegetable and ornamental crops. The meeting will give you a unique opportunity to visit companies showing their current biological control programmes, application and monitoring technologies, as well as the latest developments in energy saving and robotics.

The meeting will be held at Flora Boskoop in a relaxed environment that will provide ample opportunity to meet, discuss, network and socialise. Boskoop is close to important greenhouse clusters, but also to the beautiful historic cities of Gouda and Leiden. Social activities, including a welcome reception, conference dinner and cultural evening, will ensure a dynamic and memorable experience for all participants.

This meeting welcomes researchers, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, extension specialists, industry leaders, biocontrol companies and growers. Please share this information with colleagues who may be interested.

Important Updates:

• For any questions, or suggestions, please contact the secretariat at iobc-greenhouse-wgm2026@wur.nl

• Registration will open soon. To receive a notification as soon as it becomes available, we invite you to fill out the interest form. This way, you won’t miss any important updates. https://forms.office.com/e/59PLacYK2d

• For more information about the IOBC-WPRS Working Group and its mission, visit: https://iobc-wprs.org/expert-group/integrated-control-in-protected-crops-temperate-climate/