EU PURE project to help reduce pesticides
The desire for less pesticide residues on crops and a reduction in the types
of agro-chemicals available to farmers after recent EU legislation is being
addressed by new research at SCRI.
SCRI is one of the partners in the EU PURE project (Pesticide Use-and-risk
Reduction in European farming systems with Integrated Pest
Management) which will develop integrated pest and disease management
techniques for major EU crops.
Integrated pest and disease management (IPDM) is a holistic, systemsbased approach, integrating several strategies to reduce weeds, insect
pests and diseases while minimising the use of pesticide treatments.
PURE is the biggest agricultural project funded by the EU under the
Framework 7 programme with a total value of €12 million. As part of the
project SCRI will receive £600,000 funding over four years that will create
several new jobs.
The main crops researched will be wheat, maize, field vegetables
(brassicas), pome fruits (for example apples and pears), grapevines and
‘protected’ vegetables grown under polytunnels. The project consortium
includes a range of top research and industry partners from across
Europe.
The project also offers an excellent platform for field to landscape scale
ecological research across EU's diverse climatic zones.
SCRI will contribute to several areas of work covering conservation of
beneficial insects, landscape engineering, and also novel ways to increase
plant defences using elicitors. SCRI will also be a test site for new IPDM
strategies in wheat and brassica production systems.
Dr Graham Begg, of SCRI’s Environment Plant Interactions programme,
who will lead research into the role of ecological engineering in IPDM said,
“With the reduction in available pesticides, growers will have to look to
different and more innovative methods of managing crops and the PURE
project will support that move".
Dr Nick Birch, who coordinates SCRI’s input said, “The aims of the project
are also closely linked to research funded by the Scottish Government’s
Rural and Environment Research and Analysis Directorate that focuses on
more sustainable agriculture, food security and the impacts of
environmental change.”
SCRI's multi-disciplinary team includes Geoff Squire, Graham Begg (Work
Package leader), Pete Iannetta, Adrian Newton, John Jones and Nick Birch
(SCRI coordinator).
Ends
Notes to editors
Project details
Title: Pesticide Use-and-risk Reduction in European farming systems with
Integrated Pest Management
Funded under: EU Framework 7
Total value: €12 million
Partners: Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (France),
Rothamsted Research (UK), Aarhus University (Denmark), Julius KühnInstitut (Germany), Stichting Dienst Landbouwkundig Onderzoek
(Netherlands), Wageningen University (Netherlands), Consiglio Nazionale
delle Ricerche (Italy), Agricultural Institute of Slovenia (Slovenia), Scottish
Crop Research Institute (UK), Fondazione Edmund Mach (Germany),
Instituto Valenciano de Investigacions Agrarias (Spain), Institute of Plant
Protection, University of Debrecen, Centre of Agricultural Sciences
(Hungary), Institute for Prospective Technological Studies (Spain), Danish
Agricultural Advisory Service (Denmark), Association de Coordination
Technique Agricole (France), Bayer Crop Science (Germany), Biotop
(Germany), Natural Plant Protection (France), Burkard Manufacturing Co
Ltd (USA), Blgg (Germany), INRA Transfert (France).
More information from:
Phil Taylor, Head of Communications, SCRI, Invergowrie, Dundee, DD2 5DA Office:
01382 560044 Mobile: 07810 860 701
or
Lorraine Wakefield, Information and Online Service Officer, SCRI, Invergowrie,
Dundee, DD2 5DA. Tel: 01382 560047 (direct line) or 01382 562731 (switchboard)