Lachlan Chilman

Lachlan Chilman is a member of the Australian Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology and Australasian Biological Control Association (ABC).

Having studied horticulture and entomology at the University of Queensland in Gatton, Lachlan carried out his honours project in the Queensland strawberry industry looking at predatory mite releases for the control of Two-Spotted Mite. With a few IPM strawberry growing seasons under his belt, Lachlan started Manchil IPM Services in Western Australia in 2002. He produced Phytoseiulus persimilis to control Two-Spotted Mite in strawberries and greenhouse crops and was instrumental in commercialising the rearing of Orius armatus and Orius tantillus to control Western Flower Thrips for strawberries grown under cover and virus-prone capsicum crops. The business ran for 11 years before merging with Biological Services in July 2014.

Lachlan has worked extensively in the field to build robust IPM programs for strawberries and greenhouse crops that have traditionally been sprayed extensively with pesticides. He has also developed a commercial rearing system for the predator, Nesidiocoris tenuis, for use in crops such as tomato and eggplants that are prone to whitefly infestations.