Quantifying the impact of the neonicotinoid pesticide restriction on oilseed, pest control, pollination and productivity
duncan.coston@rothamsted.ac.uk
Profile: http://www.reading.ac.uk/caer/student_duncan_coston.html
Supervisors:
- Prof Simon Potts – University of Reading
- Dr Tom Breeze – University of Reading
- Prof Lin Field – Rothamsted Research
- Dr Sam Cook – Rothamsted Research
Funding:
- LAWS agricultural trust
Start date:
- October 2015
Abstract:
Neonicotinoid use has been restricted across the EU due to fears of harm to no target species. However, little attention has been given to the alternative methods of protecting oilseed rape from the cabbage stem flea beetle (CSFB) a major target for neonicotinoid seed dressings in OSR.
To this end I aim to test the effectiveness of different pest management practices, including neonicotinoid seed treatments, foliar sprays and novel alternative control methods such as trap cropping and under sowing. Further, I will also assess the impact of these practices on beneficial insects like pollinators and the natural enemies of crop pests.
The culmination of this work will be a cost-benefit analysis of the different pest management practices to identify the agronomic, economic and ecological consequences of adopting different approaches to pest management in OSR.