ACTION NOTES OF THE HDC TREE FRUIT PANEL OPEN MEETING HELD ON TUESDAY 18 MARCH 2014 AT EAST MALLING CONFERENCE CENTRE

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1 ACTION NOTES OF THE HDC TREE FRUIT PANEL OPEN MEETING HELD ON TUESDAY 18 MARCH 2014 AT EAST MALLING CONFERENCE CENTRE Present Chairman Nigel Kitney Elected members Will Dixon John Evans Mark Holden Nigel Jenner Jeremy Linsell Cor van Oorschot Nigel Stewart Invited members Angela Berrie (EMR) Tim Biddlecombe (FAST) Gerard Bishop (EMR) - part Jerry Cross (EMR) Richard Colgan (NRI) Mike Solomon (WCF) Adam Whitehouse (EMR) In attendance David McLellan (HDC) Scott Raffle (HDC) Andrew Tinsley (HDC) Action 1 Welcome, introduction and apologies Members were welcomed and David McLellan was introduced to all present as the new HDC manager leading the Crop Protection Team. Apologies were received from William Barnett, Paul Bennett, Steve Castle, Feli Fernandez, Catherine Langrish, Viv Powell and Jim Quinlan. 2 Crop protection EAMU applications submitted The Panel was informed of the EAMU applications that CRD was currently considering EAMU applications under discussion The Panel was informed of the potential EAMU applications that were currently under discussion. 2.3 Cultar (paclobutrazol) The Panel was informed that: The fruit formulation product could not be supported due to residue level issues and therefore authorisations will start to be lost on apple, pear, cherry, plum and quince when the re-registration is completed by the rapporteur MS (Netherlands) in May 2015 and revocations could commence at that time; The use-up for sale and distribution is likely to be six months; The use-up for disposal, storage and use of existing stocks is likely to be twelve months; However, there would be the usual proviso that if an unacceptable risk is identified there may be an immediate revocation. 2.4 CP 77 (SCEPTRE) The Panel was informed that: The large project CP 77 (SCEPTRE) would finish in autumn 2014 after four years during which more than 100 trials will have been done looking at 151 different products (87 conventional and 64 biopesticides); 1

2 The first couple of years focussed on screening a large number of products but recent and current trials focus on developing integrated programmes or finding out to optimise the performance of the best performing products; A number of trialled products have now been approved by CRD and over 60 others are in various stages of the approval process HDC Crop Protection Strategy The Panel was informed that there are five elements to the new strategy: 1. Minor uses for Approved plant protection products (PPP) via new EAMUs; 2. Potential uses for new PPPs; 3. Crop protection tools in integrated management (IPDM) systems - Major diseases/pests with diverse host ranges - Key diseases/pests with narrow host ranges - Weeds; 4. Precision tools (e.g. diagnostics/models); 5. New/external threats. The Panel was informed that implementation of the strategy would involve: Establishing both a Management Group and a Steering Group; Industry engagement; Clear stated aims, both sector specific and cross-sector; Impact assessment metrics; Adequate resourcing (research, administration and knowledge transfer); A suitable information management system; A suitable budget and co-funding; Transition process and timetable; Procurement Annual review/planning/budgeting cycle. 2.1 Viv Powell to pursue outstanding EAMUs and 120 day approvals. V Powell 3 Communications 3.1 Recent knowledge transfer (KT) activity The Panel was informed of the recent activities: HDC tree fruit work was presented to agronomists at the HDC Tree Fruit Agronomists Day on 25 February 2014; The Tree Fruit Review magazine was distributed in March, providing a summary of all recent and current HDC funded work on tree fruit; A survey was conducted during February/March of tree fruit growers asking for their R&D and KT priorities; Two new videos were posted on the HDC website SWD page in March to inform growers about the latest developments in SWD and how to set up and use the Droso trap to monitor for SWD. 3.2 Planned KT activity The Panel was informed of the following upcoming activities: A desk study on Neonectria galligena (canker and fruit rot) is due to be completed in December 2103 but has been delayed and distribution is expected in March/April 2014; A desk study on Gloeosporium storage rot is due to be completed and distributed in March/April 2014; The updating of the web-based Apple Best Practice Guide is to be completed in March 2014; The Pear Crop Walkers Guide is due to be completed and distributed in 2

3 March 2014; A series of electronic information sheets and weekly progress reports on SWD research and SWD monitoring in 2014 will be provided from March onwards Scott Raffle to ensure that the desk studies on Neonectria galligena and Gloeosporium storage rot, the Pear Crop Walkers Guide and the web-based Apple Best Practice Guide are all completed and distributed in good time for use during the 2014 season. S Raffle 4 Review of current and recently completed projects The Panel was informed of progress with: CP 77 (SCEPTRE) - Apple mildew and pear botrytis; CP 90 (Fellowship) - Apple mildew and storage rots; SF 145 (co-funded) SWD control; TF 182 and TF 172a/b - Rootstock breeding and trialling; TF 194 (LINK) - Stone fruit biocontrol; TF Mildew sensitivity; TF Effect of PPPs on earwigs; TF Irrigation set points for apple and cherry; TF Bramley storage; TF Conference storage; TF Scab sensitivity; TF Timing of codling moth control; TF Fruit wall tree type; TF Fruit wall pruning; TF Braeburn storage; TF Apple fruit rhynchites; TF Genetic variation in apple; TF Developing genetic markers for vigour control in rootstocks; TF Gala storage. 4.1 Andrew Tinsley to ensure that the aims and targets of on-going projects are pursued. 5 Priorities and R&D strategy The Panel was informed of the findings of two recent consultation initiatives: Agronomists The R&D priorities identified were biocontrol/biopesticides or biological control agents (BCA), canker control, weed control, thinning, SWD, sprayer efficiency, remote sensing, powdery mildew control, scab control, new plant protection products (PPP), residue management, rootstocks, pear bud weevil, low drift nozzles, red spider in protected stone fruit and storage disorders. On-line grower survey By the end of the survey on 13 March there had been 33 responses (± 15% of HDC tree fruit levy payers) representing all geographic areas, size of business, markets, marketing groups and crops. The survey results were: 3

4 Crop protection There was strong support for HDC work on obtaining EAMUs (90%), the control of pests (100%) and diseases (100%), new pest and disease threats (97%), crop protection product screening (86%) and new predators (93%); Work on weed control (71%) and on novel cultural controls (81%) were also supported but to a lesser extent; Specific priorities included canker, scab, powdery mildew, pear sucker, codling moth, stone fruit pests, apple leaf midge, blossom weevil, rosy apple aphid, plum moth, eye rot, P&D on apricots and anti-drift nozzles; Genetics and plant breeding There was support for HDC work on variety trials (75%) and the use of markers for marker-assisted breeding (70%); Support was less enthusiastic for breeding of new rootstocks and varieties (57%) and for transgenesis (GM) within a crop species (55%); Specific breeding priorities included rootstocks to cope with waterlogging, a good eating/storing early season apple and cultivars with canker and scab resistance; Production systems There was strong support for HDC work on systems trials (87%) and trials on soil and substrate management (90%) and slightly less for work on protection against the weather (76%); Specific variety production system priorities included reduced labour costs, improved soil organic matter, fruit thinning and cherry covering systems; Resource use There was strong support for HDC work on nutrient use (93%) and somewhat less for work on automation (68%), improving the productivity of manual labour (72%) and water use and management (63%) and little support for work on waste management (54%); Specific resource use priorities included automation, irrigation scheduling, soil management of headlands and maintaining organic matter in orchard soils; Phenology and quality There was strong support for HDC work on improving fruit quality (93%), storage (86%) and improving the reliability of pollination (80%) and somewhat less for work on optimum picking dates (66%); Support for work on crop estimation was low (39%); Specific resource use priorities included extending the storage life of all tree fruit varieties, scald in Bramley, extending storage season of Braeburn to May, a simple test for patulin, post-harvest packing systems and encouraging more bumble bees and other pollinating insects; HDC knowledge transfer Specific requests for new output included more access to global research results, increased use of web-based information, a soil management publication, an up-dated wall-chart of storage rots and disorders, publications on climate change and conferences to share best practice techniques. The findings of these two recent consultation initiatives were taken into account by the Panel when discussing and agreeing the R&D priorities and strategy The first draft of this will be circulated by 20 March and once the final draft is agreed it will be posted on the HDC website. 4

5 5.1 Andrew Tinsley to produce the revised HDC Tree Fruit priorities and R&D strategy for and circulate it to the elected members of the Panel by 20 March; 5.2 Elected Panel members to send any comments on the revised HDC Tree Fruit priorities and R&D strategy to Andrew Tinsley by the end of March. Elected Panel members 6 Proposal The Panel was agreed that: The proposed continued membership of the East Malling Rootstock Breeding Club should be supported. 6.1 Andrew Tinsley to inform EMR that HDC will continue with membership of the East Malling Rootstock Breeding Club for the next tranche. 7 Matters arising from previous meeting held on 4 February 2014 The Panel agreed that the minutes were a true record and they were signed as such by the Panel Chairman. All actions had been addressed and there were no matters arising. 8 NFU update There was no update. 9 Any other business and dates of next meetings The Produce Quality Centre (PQC) The Panel was informed that: Dr Gerard Bishop was in charge of the PQC, a joint initiative between EMR and the Natural Resources Institute of the University of Greenwich; In addition to HDC funded work the PQC has work funded by BBSRC and the industry into a range of fruit and vegetable crops; Funding is being sought from BBSRC for new work on changes in the cuticle of apple and cherry post-harvest. It was agreed that: A Tree Fruit Storage sub-group should be set up to discuss storage issues and a potential programme of work; The membership should be Scott Raffle, Nigel Jenner, Richard Colgan and Gerard Bishop; A meeting should be convened before the summer; The potential for a PhD Studentship on storage should be explored; Emma Skipper should be asked to inform this group about potential developments in cherry storage. The Panel agreed that the next meetings will take place: On Tuesday 9 December 2014; On Tuesday 3 February 2105; On Tuesday 17 March 2015; And all will be held at the East Malling Conference Centre. 5

6 9.1 - Scott Raffle to convene a meeting of the new Tree Fruit Storage sub-group by the end of May 2014; 9.2 Scott Raffle to ensure that the Tree Fruit Storage sub-group considers the potential for a PhD Studentship on storage and potential developments in cherry storage; Andrew Tinsley to make suitable arrangements for the next three Panel meetings planned for 09/12/14, 03/02/15 and 17/03/15. S Raffle S Raffle Distribution: Andrew Tinsley 31 March 2014 Nigel Kitney (Chairman) Elected William Barnett Steve Castle Will Dixon John Evans Jeremy Linsell Mark Holden Nigel Jenner Cor van Oorschot Nigel Stewart Invited Paul Bennett (Agrovista) Angela Berrie (EMR) Tim Biddlecombe (FAST) Gerard Bishop (EMR) Richard Colgan (NRI) Jerry Cross (EMR) Catherine Langrish (NFU) Mike Solomon (WCF) Debbie Rees (NRI) Adam Whitehouse (EMR) HDC Neil Bragg Jon Knight Bill Parker Viv Powell Scott Raffle Andrew Tinsley 6