Monitoring for Key Insect Pests in Protected Crops Which Represent a High Risk of Resistance Development Due to Limited Available MOA's Following Withdrawal of Insecticide Actives

The Chemicals Regulation Division (CRD) within HSE carries out the regulation, evaluation and enforcement for the correct use of plant protection products (PPPs - essentially agricultural pesticides) in GB and Northern Ireland on behalf of Defra and the devolved administrations. Part of this role includes ensuring the relevent regulations are kept up to date.

BACKGROUND TO THE PROJECT The emergence of insect species resistant to insecticides widely used in UK agriculture has the potential to impact severely on the safe and economic production of food. The development of resistance in pest species of insects is well established and the loss of insecticides with several modes of action has increased the need for resistance management. The resistance status of pests within the protected crops sector is relatively poorly understood and the consequences of which can result in considerable disruption of the widely used IPM programmes. The project will provide an important first stage to understanding the resistance status of pests (insect or mites) in protected crops of GB and NI. The project will focus on a single pest species or a group of pests on relevant commercial crops. The results will deliver the current resistance status of the targeted pest (s) to authorised chemistry focusing on gaps in knowledge and provide an understanding to the extent of the resistance within GB and NI.

Stakeholders in this project include: • HSE CRD • Defra, its agencies and other government departments • English and Devolved Governments • Academic scientists • Regulatory representatives - scientists, policy and legal staff • Industry representatives / chemical companies / grower, agronomist and other sectors, environmental NGOs This project will be delivered by partners identified by the tendering process.

Objective The objective of the project is to improve knowledge on the levels of resistance within insect/mite pests of protected crops to allow for better management and use of PPP. The results will deliver the current resistance status of the targeted pest (s) to authorised chemistry focusing on gaps in knowledge and provide an understanding to the extent of the resistance within GB and NI.

Additional information: All tender documents are available via the HSE In-Tend supplier e-procurement portal. All responses and requests for clarification must be submitted via the portal. Registration is free of charge and can be completed via the following link:

https://in-tendhost.co.uk/hse