Pest research for cereals and oilseeds

Withdrawal of chemistry has made management of several crop pests – including cabbage stem flea beetle, aphids and slugs – more challenging. With insecticide resistance present in some species too, AHDB research focuses on the delivery of integrated pest management (IPM) options.

Invertebrate pest control often requires the use of insecticides and molluscicides. However, key chemical options have been withdrawn from the market – including neonicotinoid seed treatments and metaldehyde slug pellets. Pesticide (pyrethroid) resistance in key pest species, such as grain aphid and cabbage stem flea beetle (CSFB), mean alternatives to chemical control are urgently required. In oilseed rape, many famers have ceased growing the crop, primarily because of the risks associated with crop losses to CSFB.

AHDB research focuses on:

• Non-chemical and novel approaches to CSFB control in oilseed rape
• Decision support tools for aphid control
• Development of insecticide resistance management guidance

The withdrawal of neonicotinoid seed treatments for CSFB control occurred around 10 years ago. Since that time, AHDB-funded work has improved understanding of the pest’s biology (adult and larval stages) and used that knowledge to help target management interventions. Sow date is particularly influential. Drilling early is likely to produce a more tolerant crop, while late sowing helps seedlings emerge after the peak of beetle flights. The trouble is CSFB is two pests for the price of one, as larvae also need to be considered. Early sown crops often have the highest numbers of larvae in the autumn and spring. This is mainly because beetles have more time to lay eggs. The warmer conditions also favour rapid pest development. Unfortunately, this means that sow date management alone is not sufficient to fully manage CSFB. Despite this, it is a basis around which to select other management options. Several options are under investigation in our latest project, including the use of trap and companion crops, in addition to the management of stubbles.

Various aphid species transmit Barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) to cereal crops. Pyrethroid resistance concerns and the withdrawal of neonicotinoid seed treatments mean IPM approaches to manage pests and viruses are required.

Our BYDV management tool uses weather data to indicate when a second aphid generation is likely to be active – associated with an increased risk of BYDV spread. Our research aims to improve this decision support tool by incorporating a wider range of information sources, including aphid numbers, the proportion of aphids with BYDV, drill date and spray costs. As part of the work, the refined tool will be pitted against our current BYDV tool in on-farm tests. This project also includes assessments of tolerant winter barley varieties, improvements to aphid monitoring and tests of the proportion of cereal aphids that carry BYDV (sampled by the suction-trap network).

See the 'Recently completed projects' section for further details about this research.

One of our PhD studentship projects studies the potential use of trap crops to reduce the number of virus vectors entering nearby commercial crops. It also examines the volatile chemicals that attract aphids, which may be used to develop novel tools for monitoring and control.

Arthropod pests evolve to contend with the chemical control tactics used against them. This process has resulted in various forms of insecticide resistance developing in many major crop pests, including aphids, whiteflies, thrips, beetles and spider mites. AHDB invests in long-term research to monitor the sensitivity of key pest species to insecticides and to ensure resistance management guidance is robust.

Insecticide Resistance Action Group (IRAG)

AHDB works with IRAG to develop, produce, and promote guidance on fungicide resistance.

*A report is submitted at the end of each project. After review (which can take several weeks), the final project report is published on the corresponding project page. At this stage, the project is official complete.

Information on all pest research projects is available in our research archive:

• In the ‘Sector’ drop-down box, select ‘Cereals & Oilseeds’
• In the ‘Topic’ drop-down box, select ‘Pest management’

Our Strategic Cereal Farms put cutting-edge research and innovation into practice on commercial farms around the UK.

Trials cover a variety of topics, including investigations into whether flower strips can encourage beneficials and reduce the need for insecticide applications.