A drone flies over a crop field; the way in which technology has transformed the field of pest control is one of the themes of the Swansea conference (12-14 September)
Feeding a growing population while reducing the environmental impact is an urgent challenge, but a major international conference at Swansea University will help by bringing together experts in integrated pest management. They will discuss new approaches to managing insect pests which will cut reliance on harmful chemical insecticides.
Pests destroy up to 40 per cent of global crops and cost $220 billion in losses, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation. Climate change increases the threat further as it makes it more likely that invasive pests can move into new territory.
Integrated pest management (IPM) is based on the principle that environmental issues and food production are inextricably linked.
It aims to encourage healthy crops with the least possible disruption to agricultural ecosystems. It focuses on natural pest control mechanisms and involves biological, cultural, physical and chemical tools being used together in a way that minimises economic, health and environmental risks.
To be effective, IPM also requires different sectors to work together, especially industry, academia and regulatory authorities.
Technology has transformed the field of pest control in recent years. Drones, electronic sensors, robotic crop inspectors and satellite imagery are becoming widely used to protect crops.
Against this background, the Swansea event could not be more timely. The aim is to bring together everybody involved in the agribusiness chain, to present and discuss new innovations and how they are being implemented in crop protection.
Entitled “New IPM: A Modern and Multidisciplinary approach to Crop Protection”, the conference runs from 12-14 September. It is being hosted and organised by Swansea University in partnership with the International BioControl Manufacturers Association UK.
Amongst the topics that will feature are:
• Pest and disease monitoring
• Increasing plant growth and resilience
• Biopesticides - natural alternatives to chemical pesticides
• How different natural pest control measures can work together for greater impact
• Strains of microbes that have been identified but not yet fully assessed for their potential
• Networking and funding opportunities
The main conference programme runs on 12th and 13th September. This is followed on 14th by a networking event, organised by Swansea University’s Research and Innovation Services, which will be an opportunity for academics and businesses to forge links, with sessions on funding opportunities from UK and EU sources.
Professor Tariq Butt of Swansea University, who is organising the event, said:
“IPM is essential if we are to protect our food supply and our environment, which are two sides of the same coin.
The problem is that too often IPM discussions focus on individual elements, such as the role of beneficial species or biopesticides, rather than the whole picture.
At a practical level implementation of IPM relies on a whole set of accurate, timely and appropriate information, passed to a properly trained decision-maker who, ultimately, has access to a pest-management toolkit that is fit-for-purpose.
To make all of this happen, it requires a combined effort and the collaboration of industry, academia and the regulatory authorities.
This conference will provide an opportunity for representatives from all of these stakeholders to communicate and build productive relationships. This will help us develop a new approach to IPM, which is essential if we are to succeed in protecting our food and our environment.
We will also be revealing plans for the region's first Natural Products BioHUB, a collaboration between industry and academia to develop new natural products and businesses, creating jobs and training opportunities."
Dr Ian Baxter of the International Biocontrol Manufacturers Association UK (IBMA UK) said:
‘’IBMA UK is delighted to be co-organising this event with Swansea University. The last two years have been particularly challenging for all of us, but this has not been reflected in a slow-down in the rate of technology adoption by growers – if anything, it has been expedited by the obvious pressures on resources.
This is a perfect moment to get together and exchange information on the latest advances in New IPM.’’
Information about the conference