THIRD Biopesticide International Conference  (biocicon 2011) November 28 � 30, 2011
ORGANIZED BY Crop Protection Research Centre, Department of Advanced Zoology and Biotechnology St. Xavier�s College (Autonomous),  Manonmaniam Sundaranar University Palayamkottai -627 002, Tamil Nadu, India Phone No. : + 0462 2560744, Fax : + 0462 2561765 www.stxavierstn.edu.in
Centre for Plant Protection Studies  Tamil Nadu Agricultural University,  Coimbatore-641003, Tamil Nadu, India, Phone +91 422 6611237, Fax +91 422 6611437 www.tnau.ac.in E-mail :biocicon2011@gmail.com

Dear Colleagues, 

Third International Biopesticide Conference (BIOCICON 2011): BIOCICON 2011 is being organized from 28 to 30 November 2011 by Crop Protection Research Centre, Department of Advanced Zoology and Biotechnology,St. Xavier�s College (Autonomous), Palayamkottai, Tamil Nadu, India in collaboration with Centre for Plant Protection Studies Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore. This conference is in continuation of BIOCICON 2009 held previously in the same Institution assisted by Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), New Delhi , Ministry of Earth Science, New Delhi and Tamil Nadu State Council for Science and Technology (TNSCST), Chennai.  BIOCICON 2011 is aimed to promote basic and applied research and development for ecofriendly pest disease and nematode management in agriculture, horticulture and forestry.

Biopesticides are living organisms (natural enemies) or their products (phytochemicals, microbial products) or byproducts (semiochemicals) which can be used for the management of pests (microorganisms � nematodes, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, virus and viroid; microorganisms � invertebrates and vertebrates) that are injurious to plants.  Biopesticides have an important and increasing role in crop protection, although most commonly in combination with other tools including chemical pesticides as part of Bio-intensive Integrated Pest Management (BIPM). World-wide use of biopesticides has been rapidly increasing. In that spirit,this new conference series to attract researchers from a broad range of academic disciplines which are contributing in the fighting against harmful pest and diseases, not only those more traditionally involved in this research area (microbiologists, biologists, entomologists, chemists, genetics), but also experimental and theoretical/computational chemists (rational design of antimicrobial compounds, chemical synthesis, analogues, surface modification of materials), physicists (radiation, nano-emulsions (surface tension), ultrasounds, antimicrobial materials, properties of nano-materials) or engineers (technologies) and industry and public partnership are being proposed. Hence we are organizing the �Third International Biopesticide Conference�� with the mantra of organic crop production and protection  for sustained and safe food supply.