Mind The Gap

The 10th Pests and Beneficials Review will be held on the 5 December 2024 at the Sophi Taylor Building, NIAB, Cambridge.

Theme: Mind the Gap – Managing pests successfully with a decreasing choice of chemical options.

Programme

09.30: Registration and Coffee
10.00: Welcome – Chairperson Elizabeth Stockdale, Head of Farming Systems Research, NIAB
10.15: Development of a UK Pesticide Load Indicator – Dr Marc Kennedy, Fera Science
10.40: EU and UK on pesticide availability – Dr Jonathan Blackman, Horticultural Technical Manager, Hutchinsons

11.05: Coffee
11.40: Perspectives on managing pests with reduced synthetic chemical options
• Paul Cobb, Farm Environment Adviser, FWAG South East
• Georgie Bray, Hope Farm, Cambridgeshire, RSPB
• John Cherry, Weston Park Farms, Hertfordshire
• Marion Raegan, Hugh Lowe Farms Ltd, Kent

12.35: Poster Session and Short Talks by early career researchers and PhD students:
• Paul Allison, Newcastle University
• Sam Apori, Newcastle University
• Laura Martinez-Chavez – Harper Adams University
• John Owen, Harper Adams University
• Giulia Steinfatt, Imperial College London
• Aimee Tonks, Harper Adams University

13.00: Lunch
14.00: Bring stakeholders together – Dr Una Fitzpatrick, Senior Ecologist, National Biodiversity Data Centre, Ireland.
14.25: Ecological innovations; new nature-based solutions for effective crop protection – Dr Felix Wackers, Director Research & Development, Biobest Group.
14.50: Discussion
15.10: Review summary – Chair
15.20: Close

To view presentations from the 9th Pests & Beneficials Review, 2023, click here

The objective of the meeting was to discuss to what extent adoption of the Sustainable Farming Incentives scheme promotes the use of Integrated Pest Management (IPM). The meeting also highlights where IPM tools contribute to profitable farm businesses that benefit from SFIs.