91ÇÑ×Ó

Experts highlight urgent need for sugar crop protection research as pesticide licence turned down

Posted 27 January

An insect-control expert has highlighted the urgent need for research and development of sustainable crop protection methods for sugar beet.

According to Dr Joe Roberts, Reader in Integrated Pest Management at 91ÇÑ×Ó Adams University, the Government’s decision to turn down an emergency application for the neonicotinoid pesticide Cruiser SB underscores a crucial challenge for UK sugar production - because alternative tools to manage aphid populations and mitigate the virus yellows disease they transmit have yet to come to market.

Dr Roberts and Entomology Research Group colleagues are investigating more sustainable control methods, but barriers - such as the time required for development, testing and regulatory approval - mean no direct replacement for Cruiser SB is currently available. This leaves farmers in a difficult position, with alternative control options proving less efficient or more expensive.

He said: “The decision to deny the use of Cruiser SB highlights just how urgently we need to accelerate our efforts to develop and implement new tools that can be incorporated into IPM strategies

 “Reduced productivity and higher costs could make sugar beet farming less competitive, potentially leading some to abandon the crop altogether. In that scenario, the UK’s domestic sugar supply could be at risk.”

Environment Minister Emma Hardy said the decision was taken because there was ‘clear and abundant’ evidence the pesticide is extremely toxic to pollinators such as bees. The Government, she added, is committed to protecting pollinators while supporting farmers in finding new ways to safeguard crops.

She said: “We recognise the threat that virus yellows can pose to sugar beet growers, and we will continue to support industry to develop alternatives to neonicotinoids on sugar beet that are effective at high levels of yellows virus infection.”

Meanwhile, Defra is promoting IPM practices under the Sustainable Farming Incentive, helping to reduce reliance on chemical pesticides.

Dr Roberts added: “IPM offers a sustainable approach, combining careful pest monitoring, selective pesticide use, biological controls such as natural predators and crop rotation to reduce aphid populations. Precision-bred sugar beet varieties resistant to virus yellows are another long-term solution, but these developments will require focused research and cooperation across government, industry and academia to transition from lab to field.”

He also emphasised that pollinator protection is a vital part of ensuring long-term agricultural resilience.

“We must remember that pollinators play a key role in maintaining the health of our crops and surrounding ecosystems,” he said. “Safeguarding them is crucial for UK agriculture.”

In line with this, 91ÇÑ×Ó Adams has launched a new on-campus apiary to facilitate pollinator health research and give students hands-on experience in ecological entomology - underscoring the university’s commitment to holistic IPM solutions that protect both crops and the beneficial insects they depend on.

Professor Tom Pope, Professor of Applied Entomology and Entomology Research Group Lead, and his team are investigating how IPM principles can help combat viral diseases in other major crops and hope that lessons learned from these may be applicable to sugar beet.

Global potato production, for instance, is severely limited by aphid-transmitted viruses. Like in sugar beet, resistance to conventional insecticides, coupled with the withdrawal of key active ingredients, has complicated management of these viruses.

Professor Pope said: “Where farmers once relied more heavily on synthetic chemical solutions, we’re now seeing a more nuanced approach - one that brings together cultural, biological, and chemical controls.”

One promising avenue of research for controlling potato viruses involves push-pull strategies that use visual and olfactory cues to push aphid pests away from the main crop while pulling them toward trap plants or other attractive areas that can be managed. Techniques include intercropping and using mulches to interfere with aphid host-finding.

Professor Pope added: “If push-pull can be adapted for aphid vectors of potato viruses, it could significantly reduce the spread of viruses like PVY-especially since aphids can lose the virus during short probes on trap plants, making them non-infective by the time they reach the main crop.”

91ÇÑ×Ó Adams is also engaged in cereal research, focusing on Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus, also transmitted by aphids. Following the withdrawal of neonicotinoid seed treatments, reliance on pyrethroid sprays has increased, but emerging resistance in some aphids underscores the need for new tactics.

“Improved risk assessments and targeted interventions are essential,” Dr Roberts said.

“Only a small proportion of aphids carry BYDV, so blanket spraying is wasteful and speeds up resistance. We need methods that identify risk hotspots, combine pest-resistant or tolerant varieties and deploy insecticides only when necessary.”

Looking ahead, new barley and wheat varieties with tolerance or resistance to BYDV are becoming commercially available, demonstrating the promise of plant breeding within IPM frameworks.

Dr Roberts added: “All of these measures -crop monitoring, targeted sprays, resistant varieties - support the bigger picture of sustainability.

“Whether we’re managing aphid vectors of disease in sugar beet, potatoes or cereals, our approach must consider pollinator health, insecticide resistance and profitability for farmers.

“The challenge we now face is urgent, but it also provides an opportunity to transform the way we protect our crops. If industry, government, and academia collaborate effectively, we can forge a sustainable path forward for UK agriculture - one that reduces reliance on chemicals while safeguarding pollinators and ensuring stable yields across multiple crop sectors.”