NGAREMLEGUI STATE, PALAU. Dr. Aurora G. Del Rosario, Researcher/Extension Specialist, Palau Community College Research and Development Station.

For the past 20 years, research in Crop Protection proved to be a successful undertaking. Research culminated in the publication of two important books on crop protection.

The first publication written by Nelson Esguerra and Aurora Del Rosario is a 214-page book entitled “Economic Entomology in Micronesia” published by PCC-CRE and College of Micronesia in 2007. It showcases biological information on 84 major pests of crops in Micronesia which are described and augmented by 369 colored photographs of the damage and different life stages. Students in agricultural science as well as researchers and extension agents will find this book very useful.

The second book published by the COM Land Grant Program is entitled “Biological Control Introductions in the Freely Associated States of Micronesia”. It is a 136 –page document which covers the use of good insects to control pests of crops in the Freely Associated States of Micronesia from 1986 to 2009. Primarily, it involved introducing biological control agents in the Republic of Marshall Islands, the four island states of the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of Palau. Many of the introduced good insects reduced the target pests to non-damaging levels in these island nations. It also includes some biological control agents that remained in the islands and continuously controlled the pests despite releasing those 10-15 years ago. The authors are Nelson Esguerra, Aurora Del Rosario and Thomas Taro.