Dave Chandler, Warwick Crop Centre Introduction to AMBER (AHDB CP158) Application and Management of Biopesticides for Efficacy and Reliability

Transcription

1 Dave Chandler, Warwick Crop Centre Introduction to AMBER (AHDB CP158) Application and Management of Biopesticides for Efficacy and Reliability

2 Pest / disease management is becoming more challenging Injudicious used of conventional chemical pesticides Evolution of resistance Environmental damage Health concerns Reduction in availability: Products stop working. Government restrictions. Retailer restrictions.

3 Pest / disease management is becoming more challenging Injudicious used of conventional chemical pesticides Sustainable crop protection: IPM Targeted pesticide use. Biologically based controls. Plant breeding. Cultural & physical controls. Evolution of resistance Environmental damage Health concerns (residues) Reduction in availability: Products stop working. Government restrictions. Retailer restrictions. Globalisation of food standards.

4 No. of a.i.s Pest / disease management is becoming more challenging Injudicious used of conventional chemical pesticides Evolution of resistance Environmental damage Health concerns (residues) year Fall in no. of conventional pesticide substances approved in EU ( ) Reduction in availability: Products stop working. Government restrictions. Retailer restrictions. Globalisation of food standards.

5 No. arthropod species Pest / disease management is becoming more challenging Injudicious used of conventional chemical pesticides Evolution of resistance Environmental damage Health concerns (residues) year Insecticide resistance (world) Reduction in availability: Products stop working. Government restrictions. Retailer restrictions. Globalisation of food standards.

6 New opportunities: a rise in the availability of biopesticides Microbes; plant extracts; semiochemicals. Curative & preventative treatments; protected crops. 18 products now in UK. Many more in pipeline. Worldwide : > 2000 products. Annual growth 15% (3% for conventional pesticides). Will be bigger than global synthetic pesticides market in 20 years. Other biopesticides are available

7 Biopesticides in the UK product name target(s) type of product Marketing Active substance Disease control AQ10 Powdery mildew Fungus Fargro Ampelomyces quisqualis Serenade ASO Botrytis/grey mould Bacteria Bayer Bacillus subtilis Contans WG Sclerotinia Fungus Bayer Coniothyrium minitans Eagle Green care Plant nematodes Plant extract ECOspray Garlic extract NEMguard granules Plant nematodes Plant extract Certis Garlic extract Prestop Botrytis, Didymella, root diseases Fungus Fargro Gliocladium catenulatum T34 Biocontrol Fusarium Fungus Fargro Trichoderma asperellum Trianum Plant strengthener; root rots Fungus Koppert Trichoderma harzianum Pest control Capex Summer Fruit Tortrix insect virus Sentomol Adoxophyes orana granulosis virus DiPel DF Lepidoptera caterpillars Bacteria Interfarm Bacillus thuringiensis Lepinox Plus Lepidoptera caterpillars Bacteria Fargro Bacillus thuringinesis Naturalis-L Whitefly, thrips, spidermites Fungus Belchim / Fargro Beauveria bassiana Botanigard Whitefly Fungus Certis Beauveria bassiana Cyd-X Codling moth Insect virus Certis Cydia pomonella granulosis virus Carpovirusine Codling moth insect virus Fargro Cydia pomonella granulosis virus Mycotal Whitefly, thrips, scales, mealybug Fungus Koppert Lecanicillium muscarium Majestik Whitefly, thrips, scales, mealybug maltodextrin Certis Maltodextrin Met52 Vine weevil, thrips Fungus Fargro Metarhizium brunneum

8 Biopesticides: the good stuff Low risk, no residue, low re-entry interval. Low development costs. Reduce selection pressures on pesticides. Attractive biological features: root colonisation, growth stimulation.

9 Biopesticides: challenges Some have proven potential in IPM but performance of others is weak or sub-optimal. Expensive, variable efficacy, less robust. Reasons for poor performance not always known. Technical barriers: application; environmental factors; compatibility. Growers are wary of them.

10 AMBER : PE, PO & HNS Identify knowledge gaps causing biopesticides to be used sub-optimally. Develop management practices to improve biopesticide performance & thus grower confidence and uptake. Exchange knowledge & share experience: Growers, biopesticide companies & others. Warwick, ADAS, Silsoe Spray Applications Unit, 2 consultants, industry steering group

11 AMBER: how it works Benchmark biopesticide performance (6 crops) Grower surveys; manufacturers Identify areas where performance could be improved Application: Environment ; Persistence; Compatibility Design + evaluate improved practices Extrapolate to wider range of crops Work shops, website, fact sheets

12 Priority P&D (steering group) Pests Disease Western flower thrips Botrytis Glasshouse whitefly Powdery mildew Aphids Pythium / Phytophthora Two-spotted spider mite Downy mildew Infest a wide range of PE, PO and HNS crops. Have pesticide resistance issues. Cause significant financial losses if not controlled.

13 2016 Benchmarking: P&D, 5 crops Chrysanthemum (thrips) Cyclamen (Botrytis) Choisya & Dianthus (root rots) Peppers (aphids) Cucumber (powdery mildew) Natural P&D infestation. Crop scale. Applied by grower following best practice. Data collected: Product storage; sprayer performance, pressure, water volume, concentration; deposition on the crop; effect of spray on product viability; persistence; amount of P/D control; environmental conditions; nontarget effects; phytotoxicity. Not efficacy trials

14 General findings so far Excellent buy in from growers. Good application practice by growers but lots of potential for optimisation (water volumes, targeting). Clearer label guidance for application. 1 case of poor control at v high pest pressure. Need to improve mixing of biopesticides in spray tank: affects logistics and efficacy. Relate coverage to effective dose.

15 BotaniGard (Beauveria bassiana) for western flower thrips; chrysanthemum Biopesticide: BotaniGard WP (Beauveria bassiana) + Majestik at recommended rate, once per week. Nigel Cattlin / FLPA Standard programme Steinernema feltiae (Nemasys) half-rate twice per week Applications over 3 weeks from bud break to week before dispatch. 42 pots assessed, 4 blocks, Deejay Time and Chrystal Pink.

16 Application around 4pm just after blackout, 1000 L/ha, automated horizontal boom

17 WFT numbers per pot 0.05 WFT per pot = one WFT per 20 pots BotaniGard WP and Majestik Steinernema feltiae

18 Proportion of plants with pests/damage present

19 Prestop (Gliocladium catenulatum) against Botrytis on cyclamen Standard: alternating Rovral & Amistar 2 applications, 3 week intervals, 6 week crop. RIPA nozzle, Brinkman 200l tank sprayer. Data collected as before.

20 Prestop (Gliocladium catenulatum) against botrytis on cyclamen Chemical spray PATH Prestop spray 10.5 cm pots spaced in trays

21 Cyclamen final assessment Two beds of trial (Prestop treated in foreground) Botrytis sporulation on old leaves touching growingmedia

22 Prestop against Botrytis on cyclamen Botryis sporulation: 56% Prestop treated plants vs 84% pesticide treated plants. Affected plants with disease progressing to petioles: Prestop = 16%, pesticide = 52%. Better label guidance needed for mixing. Need better spray penetration within crown. Too much spray waste.

23 Issues with biopesticide application Instructions for doses on label and in technical manuals are not straightforward. What is meant by run-off? The foliage should be sprayed until the plants are wet thoroughly, but not to run-off. Apply at high volume to just before run-off, ensuring thorough coverage of the crop. can be applied with conventional spray equipment with sufficient water to ensure uniform coverage, including the underside of leaves. How much product do you need on the plant, and where? Higher volume does not mean better application.

24 Replicating spray conditions: reduced dose with higher volumes

25 Biopesticides: Future needs More products coming through: clear guidance needed. Application: raise our game. New understanding of effect of environmental conditions: extreme temperatures, UV, humidity. Why is % control affected by pest population size?

26 Acknowledgements: the Amber team Warwick Crop Centre Dave Chandler, Gill Prince, John Clarkson ADAS Erika Wedgwood, Jude Bennison, Mark Ramsden, David Talbot, Sarah Mayne. Silsoe Spray Applications Unit (SSAU) Clare Butler Ellis Two consultants: experts in IPM & biopesticides Rob Jacobson, Roma Gwynn Industry steering group (chair Paul Sopp), AHDB

27 Thanks for your attention