International collaboration on crop protection
Specialists in pesticide regulation, Vivian Powell and Bolette Palle Neve represent British growers in two expert groups for fruit and vegetables and ornamentals made up of representatives from each EU member state.
“AHDB has undertaken a number of projects supported by the coordination facility to pinpoint new treatments for speciality crops including residue data to support the use of Tracer (spinosad) on bush and cane fruit and resulted in an EAMU for the control of spotted wing drosophila and thrips” said Bolette.
Addressing the many gaps in crop protection in the UK, AHDB can expand its search for solutions through the Homologa database, an international crop protection registration database which can draw on approvals for plant protection products wider than just Europe.
The coordination facility is continually looking to involve growers in minor uses work to ensure any results have a commercial return. The collaboration extends across the Atlantic, liaising with expertise from the IR-4 programme in the USA, the Canadian minor use pesticides programme and the work in Brazil on minor uses.
This October, will see the third Global Minor Use Summit in Montreal, Canada to help develop new strategies for minor use programmes and streamline approval requirements in order to reduce costs for approvals on products for speciality crops.
The possibility of regulatory authorities agreeing common data standards generated in one country can be acceptable in another would ensure more adequate use of resources. More details can be found on the website at gmup.org.