Andy Evans
Projects
Impact: Investigate the suitability of the Scottish climate for establishment and spread of the pest should it be introduced to provide data for a Scottish-specific BMSB risk assessment.
Impact: Improved understanding of costs and benefits of pesticide use across Scottish sectors and an impact analysis for the most likely withdrawal scenarios such that key gaps can be identified and their impact quantified in order to inform pesticide policy.
Publications
Understanding crop producers’ perceptions around crop health decision making and the impact of that on key metrics such as pesticide usage
Increased uptake of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) measures on Scottish farms will be key in improving resilience against pests, weeds, and diseases, and maintaining or improving crop yields and farm profitability, whilst reducing environmental impact and reliance on pesticides. The aim of this project therefore was to improve the flow of IPM knowledge and its uptake and identify the drivers and barriers to further adoption of IPM practices for different decision makers and for different farm types.
Monitoring for BMSB in Scotland - Final Report and Policy Summary
The increase in global trade brings with it the risk of spread of new pests and diseases into Scotland. Halyomorpha halys, Brown Marmorated Stinkbug (BMSB) is an invasive pest that has already become established in North America and several European countries. The insect aggregates inside houses over winter and can cause problems as an urban nuisance pest in homes as well as being a pest of agriculture. In this project, co-ordinated monitoring for the presence of BMSB was undertaken by teams at SASA and the James Hutton Institute. A reference collection of voucher specimens of common UK stinkbug species was established, including DNA barcoding. A process-oriented climate-based niche model was used by a team at SRUC to determine the areas in Scotland that are suitable for the establishment of BMSB under current and future climates.
Recommendations and suggested 'next steps', including encouraging further surveillance, are detailed in the report and policy summary documents.
PHC2018/15: Potential Impacts Arising from Pesticide Withdrawals to Scotland’s Plant Health
The use of pesticides to manage plant pests and diseases is a key management intervention across plant health sectors, particularly in agriculture, horticulture and commercial forestry production. Pesticide withdrawals through legislation, coupled with resistance development and their impact on plant health, have emerged as key concerns for Scottish plant health stakeholders. This project quantifies the impacts on Scottish plant health that will arise from pesticide withdrawal scenarios and sets this in the context and time frame of alternative management tools.
Impact on Scottish crops if the molluscicide metaldehyde is withdrawn
This report sets out estimates for the crop loss and value to Scottish crop production should the molluscicide metaldehyde be withdrawn. This would leave ferric phosphate as the only available chemical control option. Short term losses are negligible as the substitution of ferric phosphate carries no additional treatment costs and has equivalent efficacy. Longer term there is some risk should resistance arise to this single site mode of action active, and ferric phosphate (although of lower mammalian toxicity to metaldehyde) has some environmental impacts of its own.