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SCEPTRE & MOPS
The original SCEPTRE programme was set up by AHDB in October 2010. The original programme ran until March 2015.
SCEPTRE aimed to find new crop protection measures to fill gaps left for growers as a result of older products being withdrawn or restricted in use on minor crops. More than 80 chemical products and 60 biopesticides were tested on fruit and vegetable crops in a series of trials to assess their efficacy on a range of pests, diseases and weeds.
For those products showing most promise, AHDB have worked with the manufacturers and CRD to gain authorisations. Further work was also done to integrate the new products in existing control programme.
Notable successes
- 'Teppeki' on carrots was recently authorised following successful trials where the product provided good control of carrot willow aphid. The product was included under product code 60.
- The emergency authorisation of Benevia 10OD, aimed at helping growers against the large influx of Diamondback moth in 2016 was delivered as a result of SCEPTRE trials.
- In cucumber, Amistar provided good control of root rots (Pythium and phomopsis) and we have subsequently secured EAMU 0894/17 for which allows growers to apply Amistar (azoxystrobin) through drip irrigation.
- In leafy salads, Isoclast (sulfoxaflor) provided excellent control of aphids and we are currently working with colleagues in Belgium to generate residues data to support approvals in both protected leafy salads and protected strawberry.
- Herbicide trials in field vegetables demonstrated that Successor (pethoxamid) offers pre-emergence control of groundsel and is safe to use in onion, leek, lettuce, courgette, vining peas and dwarf green beans. We have recently generated data to support future approvals in alliums and in 2017, we plant to generate the required data for cucurbits.
- Tepekki (flonicamid) performed extremely well on carrots for aphid control and in 2016, AHDB worked with colleagues in Sweden and the product manufacturer to generate residues data. We are currently expecting an MRL amendment before an authorisation is secured.
- In fruit, Talius (proquinazid) successfully controlled powdery mildew in apple and AHDB has subsequently secured EAMU 0725/17 which can be used twice per season by apple growers.
- A new product Luna Sensation (fluopyram & trifloxystrobin) also offered excellent control of powdery mildew in protected strawberry and this now has a full approval. It also offers control of Botrytis and soft rots such as Mucor and Rhizopus. An EAMU has now been obtained for Luna Sensation, for the control of diseases including Botrytis cinerea and powdery mildew on lettuce.
MOPS
MOPS (Managing ornamental plants sustainably) project aimed to generate information about which chemical and biological plant protection products were the most effective against pests and diseases of ornamentals and to help growers make rational decisions on when and how to use them. The project ran until March 2017.
By testing novel chemical and biological products compatible with integrated approaches, many of which had already proved effective on edible crop targets in SCEPTRE, the project aimed to broaden the armoury available to growers of ornamental plants.
Notable successes
- Several novel chemical products and biopesticides were identified for the ornamentals industry which performed well against a range of key priority pest and diseases, including powdery mildew, rusts aphids, whitefly, western flower thrips, carnation tortrix and vine weevil.
- Reflect proved effective for the control of powdery mildew for ornamental plant product, and EAMU 1602/2016 was approved directly from the trials in MOPS.
- The product Met52 OD was included in MOPS trials and is now approved on-label.
Several other products tested within MOPS have now been submitted for approval through our AHDB Horticulture EAMU programme, and we hope these products will be available for growers in the future.
Several products are now being sought approval for based on their successful performance within the programme through the AHDB Horticulture EAMU programme.