Vitacress Salads and East Malling Research (EMR) have been honoured in the The Worshipful Company of Fruiterers seventh environmental awards.

Vitacress won the production prize and the research and development prize went to EMR.

Traditional hoeing and weeding of Vitacress Salads organic baby-leaf crops are impossible as plants are grown so close together.

Its award-winning solution, developed by agronomist Keston Williams, is to use a mulch produced from composted green household waste to a high microbiological and physical specification by Hampshire County Council and the Onyx Environmental Group. The company also developed a machine to apply the mulch evenly and accurately.

The R&D award was won by East Malling Research for work in identifying and using the female apple-leaf midge pheromone in baited sticky traps to catch the male leaf midge and prevent, organically, a pest which has previously been impossible to control.

The presentation of a cut-glass bowl and a cheque for £2,000 was made to the winners of each category last week with a cheque for £1,000 going to the highly commended winner, at the Mansion House, by the Lord Mayor of London Alderman Robert Finch, the Master of the Fruiterers’ Company Henry Bryant and Gordon Fairbrother, central buyer, fruit, at Waitrose, the sponsor of the award scheme.