Arable
Pheromones deployed in war against midges and weevil
G
rowers will be able to use insect phero- mones to combat midges and weevils in legumes such as peas and beans. It follows a £200k grant from Innovate UK grant to PheroSyn – a company spun off by Rothamsted Research to develop new ways of tackling pests. It is working with the UK Proces- sors and Growers Association (PGRO). Over 18 months, the partners will establish manufacture and distribute pheromone prod- ucts to farmers to enable a smarter application of pesticides. PGRO agronomists will then trap and monitor midge and weevil popularions. Management of midges and weevils is notori-
ously diffi cult. Food can potentially be exposed to pesticides when targeting specifi c stages of their life cycles – leading to possible contamination of the human and animal food chain. PheroSyn business manager Daniel Bahia
said: “There is a growing global trend away from reliance on chemical pesticides in food produc- tion in favour of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies.
“Demand for our existing pea and pear midge pheromone products has been clear, and this
grant allows us to accelerate development of the next range of products, leading to afforda- ble, safe to eat food in a way that promotes zero carbon agriculture.” PGRO research and development manager
Becky Howard said: “We are really pleased to be working with PheroSyn to help develop IPM tools for growers and to ensure a sustainable fu- ture for UK legumes.”
Masterclass
Measuring pest populations should be carried out before any decisions are made on applying insecticides, says the PGRO. It hsd produced a masterclass video to help growers understand how to trap and assess pest populations. The PGRO says a range of preventative tools will be key for farmers looking to reduce cases of pea and bean weevil, while fi nding more sus- tainable ways of farming in line with new agri- cultural policy. Rotation, cultivation, drill timing, sanitation and forecasting are all options that farmers can take advantage of to prevent damage caused by pests and reducing the need for spraying.
Pheromones offer a new way to control bean weevil
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