The project examines the potential impact Scotland’s upcoming agricultural reforms could have on plant health

Previous PHC projects identified biocontrol as a major element of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) with a role to play in mitigating pesticide withdrawals. However, it is currently unclear how practical biocontrol is as a suitable alternative to pesticides in Scotland, what the opportunities are for deployment across different sectors and what barriers exist to uptake (including regulatory).

This project was initiated in response to a new health threat to Scots pine manifesting itself in the form of multiple blackened cankers and dieback of shoots and branches, particularly in the lower crown. Scots pine is regarded as iconic in Scotland for a range of ecological, cultural and economic reasons. Therefore, it is a research priority to gain an understanding of the extent and causes of the canker disease for better protection of this species in the future.

This research focussed on two areas of biosecurity that provide significant risk to plant businesses and the wider environment in Scotland, i) plant waste management, and ii) the constituents of reduced-peat and peat-free growing media.