Plenary speakers
Tuesday 3 May
Ivan Hiltpold
Ivan Hiltpold is a Senior Scientist at the Agroscope Changins, the Swiss center of excellence for agricultural research. He is a chemical ecologist with strong interest in tritrophic interactions between plant, insect herbivores, and insect natural enemies. He has devoted a large portion of his career to the interactions between entomopathogenic nematodes and volatiles emitted by roots damaged by herbivorous insects. He was a member the group who demonstrated for the first time that volatiles emitted by insect-damaged roots attract entomopathogenic nematodes toward the herbivores hence enhancing pest management in this cryptic niche. Dr. Hiltpold has strived to build bridges between laboratory discoveries and application in the field, working toward the development of sustainable agriculture and pest management practices exploiting chemical and behavioral ecology principles.