Dr. Vince Jones, entomologist with Washington State University in Wenatchee, is heading a $4.5-million research project to help growers take full advantage of biological control. It has ten project directors based in Washington, Oregon, and California.

The project has several parts:

—Jones is leading the team testing new sampling tools for natural enemies and developing phenology models for beneficial insects in apple, walnut, and pears.
—Dr. Nick Mills, entomologist with the University of California, Berkeley, is heading a team that is testing the effects of pesticides on natural enemies.
—Dr. Tom Unruh, geneticist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Yakima, Washington, is investigating which predators are eating codling moth.
—Dr. Karina Gallardo, economist with WSU, Wenatchee, is calculating the cost of enhanced biological control.
—Dr. Jessica Goldberger, WSU, is working with the other project directors to provide information to growers through publications, field days, and the Web site http://enhancedbc.tfrec .wsu.edu.

Also involved are Drs. Jay Brunner and Elizabeth Beers, WSU; Drs. Peter Shearer and Steve Castagnoli, Oregon State University; and Dr. David Horton, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Yakima, Washington.