Combatting Fusarium wilt in lettuce has been confirmed as one of fifteen priorities for the second year of AHDB’s crop protection research programme SCEPTREplus.
Trials will investigate the effects of plant protection products and soil disinfestation techniques to control the disease, which was confirmed in the UK for the first time in October 2017.
Following consultation with industry, other new priority targets include capsids, bean seed fly, southern green stink bug, plum rust and celery septoria, along with a range of weed control trials on crops including brassicas, onions, field-grown cut flowers and blackcurrants.
Joe Martin, AHDB crop protection senior scientist, said: “The SCEPTREplus programme has been designed to allow us to be agile and respond quickly to urgent and pressing challenges facing the industry.
“As confirmed in our recently published technical review, there are currently limited effective control options available for lettuce Fusarium wilt. We are hopeful the trial will deliver solutions to help the industry manage this disease.”
Ed Moorhouse, director of Agri-food Solutions and project lead for SCEPTREplus, added: “The first year trials of SCEPTREplus have already delivered impressive results, generating two Extensions of Minor Use approvals for weed control for herbs and sweetcorn in record time, with several more applications in progress.
“We are confident that the on-going support for SCEPTREplus will continue to provide growers with new control options to help them deal with the most challenging pest, weed and disease problems that they face.”
Research contractors have been invited to submit applications to deliver the next set of trials, which are due to start in April 2018.
Work will also continue on some of last year’s trials, where promising results have been identified and further research is needed to expand understanding of the products, making them more effective and using crop selectivity data.
AHDB is encouraging growers to help inform the research by contacting joe.martin@ahdb.org.uk.
