Beet neonics back

Bogweevil

Member

Defra has today approved an emergency temporary authorisation for the use of a neonicotinoid pesticide treatment on the 2022 sugar beet crop in England only due to the risk to the crop from yellows viruses.

Emerging sugar beet seedlings are vulnerable to predation by aphids which have the potential to spread beet yellows virus. Sugar beet crops have been severely affected, with 2020 yields down by a quarter on previous years. Other pesticide and organic treatments are not sufficiently effective in controlling viruses.

63% of the UK’s sugar comes from domestic production of sugar beet which could be at risk if a significant amount of the national crop is infected. The strictly time limited emergency authorisation of this neonicotinoid treatment - Syngenta’s Cruiser SB - will provide emergency protection against this virus, which could significantly impact yields of the sugar beet crop while the beet industry develops alternative solutions. Its exceptional temporary use will be tightly controlled and only permitted in very specific circumstances when strict requirements are met.

The maximum amount of treatment approved for use is 6% of the quantity of active substance applied on a range of crops in 2016 before neonicotinoids were prohibited.

Conditions of the authorisation include reduced application rate as well as a prohibition on any flowering crop being planted in the same field where the product has been used within 32 months of a treated sugar beet crop.

There will be an initial threshold for use, meaning that seed treatment will only be used if the predicted level of virus is at or above 19% of the national crop according to independent modelling. If the virus threshold is not met then the neonicotinoid treated seed will not be used – as was the case at the start of 2021 when this step was last taken.

12 EU countries - with significant sugar production - including France, Belgium, Denmark and Spain have granted emergency authorisations in the last three years for neonicotinoid seed treatments following the EU-wide ban - backed by the UK – coming into force.

The UK’s approach to the use of emergency authorisations has not changed as a result of the UK’s exit from the EU, and is in line with the approach taken across Europe. The UK’s work to harness advancements in scientific research including through gene editing will also help to develop crops that are more resistant to aphids and other pests.

A Defra spokesperson said:​

This decision has not been taken lightly and is based on robust scientific assessment. We evaluate the risks very carefully and only grant temporary emergency authorisations for restricted pesticides in special circumstances when strict requirements are met.
Last year the threshold was not met so the authorisation was never exercised. Strict criteria remain in place meaning this authorisation will only be used if necessary.
 

Chris W

Member
Arable Farmer
Discussion about it on the Beet Yields Thread ..

Main changes from last year.

- The increase to 19% threshold means the threshold will only be met 1 in 10 years

- No flowering crop to be grown for 32 months. So must be followed by 2 cereals with no Cover/Catch Crops.

- Rate reduced further … hopefully someone can confirm what that means for days of protection?
 

Hindsight

Member
Location
Lincolnshire
Discussion about it on the Beet Yields Thread ..

Main changes from last year.

- The increase to 19% threshold means the threshold will only be met 1 in 10 years

- No flowering crop to be grown for 32 months. So must be followed by 2 cereals with no Cover/Catch Crops.

- Rate reduced further … hopefully someone can confirm what that means for days of protection?

Sir Humphrey has cleverly protected the Minister!

Assuming beet is sown March 2022 then 32 months later is November 2024, thus effectively Spring 2025 before one can sow a flowering crop or a cover crop containing any of the restricted species can be grown. Lose the option of Autumn 24 Oilseed Rape, Beans, Linseed, cover crops so in effect three years Chris, not two. Makes it potentially very restrictive for rotations, especially if looking at the SFI higher levels requiring sowing of mixed species cover crop.

As I say Sir Humphrey has worked his magic before his well deserved late afternoon G&T .
 

Chris W

Member
Arable Farmer
BS rep is quoting 12 out 20 years which sounds more worthwhile than the 1 in 10 figure I had been told by another source. I suppose we’ll have to wait and see a figure published to know.

Hadn’t considered Autumn breakcrops in my post as due to BG with don’t grow any at the moment.

With Spuds and Beet in my rotation I cant meet the SFI requirements anyway
 

Hindsight

Member
Location
Lincolnshire
BS rep is quoting 12 out 20 years which sounds more worthwhile than the 1 in 10 figure I had been told by another source. I suppose we’ll have to wait and see a figure published to know.

Hadn’t considered Autumn breakcrops in my post as due to BG with don’t grow any at the moment.

With Spuds and Beet in my rotation I cant meet the SFI requirements anyway

I had the figure of 5 out of 10 years, which is similar to the number you have. Will know better later in week when had chance to listen to Mark Stevens of BBRO. The following crop restrictions will affect Beans and Peas. So, in a field sown this March with Cruiser treated Beet you will not be able to follow Beet with Spring sown Peas or Beans until 2025, nor a cover crop including a flowering species. Quite restrictive?! Interesting.
 

Sonoftheheir

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
West Suffolk

Beeb puts the boot in.
What an incredibly bias bit of reporting! No mention of all the European countries using it. No word to say we didn’t use it last year due to the threshold not being met. Nearly every bit of that report saying about killing bees. No mention that beet don’t flower, and the disaster the year when we didn’t have it. Yield down 50% due to virus and then sugar imported to Sainsburys from France who do use it!
 

teslacoils

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
What an incredibly bias bit of reporting! No mention of all the European countries using it. No word to say we didn’t use it last year due to the threshold not being met. Nearly every bit of that report saying about killing bees. No mention that beet don’t flower, and the disaster the year when we didn’t have it. Yield down 50% due to virus and then sugar imported to Sainsburys from France who do use it!
Yup. Without neonics, i now grow a rotation with *zero* insect pollenated crops. Sod them. I'm not a charity.
 
With out neonics the area of rape has now fallen so that the bee farmers round have to move their bees more often to find enough honey
last year was a 50% lower yield for them and had to start feeding with suger earlier
when we had neonics he never had problem with neonic residue in pollen from rape crops
the pollen was tested for research into neonics
 

Sonoftheheir

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
West Suffolk
With out neonics the area of rape has now fallen so that the bee farmers round have to move their bees more often to find enough honey
last year was a 50% lower yield for them and had to start feeding with suger earlier
when we had neonics he never had problem with neonic residue in pollen from rape crops
the pollen was tested for research into neonics

But neonics kills all bees everywhere according to the BBC
 

Rookie

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincs / Notts
Had beet seed delivered today by Frontier.
I didn't opt for any cruiser treated this season due to limitations and the probability of it not getting the go ahead because the computer says NO. 🤷‍♂️
 

robbie

Member
BASIS
Same here. Thought it better to crack on early if we get a chance. Not a big area so not a huge risk for me.
Im a big fan of neonics but this year opted not to have them, most of my seed arrived yesterday and the balance arrived today. I've got a good chance to get the crop in and away but weather I should have held off and hoped for cruiser who knows.....time will tell.
 

DrWazzock

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
The on off crop is on again 👍
Have you harvested all of last years?
It is, and yes it’s harvested and away now. Final final year this year. A really good crop last year, one of our best yields but doesn’t suit our personal situation going forward. Farm will operate as 3 x 60 acre rotated blocks and ….. well maybe beet would fit in.🤣
 

DrWazzock

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
In fact yes. One 60 acre block winter wheat, one 60 acre block winter barley and one block of 20 acres OSR, 20 acres beans, 20 acres beet, acreages being adjusted in that block depending on OSR failure etc.
So wheat follows the three break crops in that block. But I don’t have too much of any one break crop so the risk is reduced and break crop is never on same land more than once in 9 years.
Grass down all the crappy awkward bits for hay.
Sorted after 40 years.
 

Luke Cropwalker

Member
Arable Farmer
I researched the chemicals available to sugarcane growers. The information I found was not very specific to a country but the list of chemicals included neonics and organophosphates, I did wonder if the above would be applied by helicopter or airplane?
 

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quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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