January 30, 2018

Beyond Neonics?

For years the media interest on pesticides has focused almost exclusively on whether neonicotinoids are implicated in bee decline.

Now that Michael Gove has already indicated that the UK will support any permanent EU ban on neonicotinoids, the question has surely to be how we can replace them. Do we have to resort to the previous class of pesticides with arguably harsher impacts on the environment? Or has science and industry got a benign alternative waiting in the wings? What steps do we need to take to monitor the environment to make sure we don’t make the same mistakes? Or has this whole debate prompted a new look at the philosophy of farming and how we can approach pest management in a completely new way?
Speakers:

Prof.; Richard Pywell, Science Area Lead, Sustainable Land Management, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH)

Dr Bill Parker, Director of Research, Agriculture& Horticulture Development Board

Dr Joe Roberts, Postdoctoral Research Assistant in Insect Chemical Ecology, Keele University