Henry Creissen
Based at Scotland’s Rural College as a Research Fellow/Lecturer in Crop Protection. He is a member of the Scottish Voluntary Initiative and the British Crop Production Council Weeds Working Group. His expertise includes applied plant pathology, IPM, agroecology, social sciences, knowledge exchange and project management.
Projects
This project will: (i) Review the evidence (including the scientific and grey literature and existing data) to identify the plant health impacts of the proposed measures within agricultural reform, with reference to Scotland’s key crops and the likely uptake of measures; (ii) Identify potential regulatory options (statutory, basic or enhanced) that could pose an emerging risk for plant health and biosecurity in the context of likely uptake of measures; (iii) Hold a stakeholder workshop to co-design best practices guidance to mitigate plant health risk whilst delivering biodiversity, climate and wider environmental goals and (iv) raise awareness of plant health risks associated with the proposed measures and disseminate best practice guidance to mitigate risk.
Image by Freddy from Pixabay
Research on biocontrol agents is required to understand a) what relevant previous work has taken place, b) the potential benefits for agricultural, horticultural and forestry applications in Scotland, and c) is the current risk assessment framework and regulatory system fit for purpose?
This project will improve our understanding of the potential of biocontrol agents in Scottish production systems and gardens; synthesising findings from workshops with stakeholders and literature review.
This project will look to improve the flow of IPM knowledge and its uptake to increase the resilience of Scotland’s crops to pests and diseases, whilst reducing reliance on pesticides.
The drivers and barriers to further adoption of IPM practices for different decision makers and for different farm types will be identified, improving the ability to tailor IPM research and knowledge transfer and exchange activities to consider, if not overcome, those barriers and improve uptake.
Drawing upon and summarise existing literature, in addition to engagement with experts and practitioners with knowledge of existing sectoral practices in Scotland, UK and internationally, as well as gap analysis, the project will generate a better understanding of the rationale for taking precautions and an improved evidence base with which to justify taking action, answering four main questions:
• What are the current barriers to adopting precautionary measures?
• How can barriers be reduced?
• What are the limitations of the current risk assessment process?, and
• What are the priority areas for action and further research?
Impact: Identify accurate, efficient and trusted sources and test whether these sources are influential in appropriate usage of control options across key arable regions and crop types, plus intervention tools or methods that might be needed to manipulate or change how information flows; bespoke to the needs of the Scottish stakeholder network.
Impact: Improved understanding of concepts and options amongst the Scottish stakeholder community; a basis for gap analysis by the PHC.
Publications
The impact of agricultural policy reforms on plant health risks in Scotland: Guidance on maximizing plant health benefits
The project examines the potential impact Scotland’s upcoming agricultural reforms could have on plant health
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.
Potential of biocontrol for the sustainable management of plant diseases in Scotland: opportunities and barriers
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).
Perceptions of pest risk and differences in IPM uptake by arable farmers and agronomists in Scotland
Pesticide use remains an important tool in managing pest, weed and disease risks to crops and maintaining profitable production. There are several drivers for reducing reliance on pesticides and promoting the uptake of more sustainable practices through integrated pest management (IPM). By identifying IPM information networks it may be possible to improve the flow of information to farmers by targeting their preferred information sources. Better informed farmers and agronomists can make better IPM decisions. Therefore, this project undertook a telephone survey to collect information on currently perceived invertebrate pest and disease threats in Scotland, the level of IPM uptake, and the information sources they relied upon.
A new IPM Planning Tool for Scottish growers
Integrated pest management (IPM) is a holistic approach to managing harmful organisms which maximizes profitability and minimises negative impacts on the environment. IPM aims to reduce reliance on pesticides and promoting IPM is identified as a key action in support of a National Action Plan. To promote IPM practices and improve on-farm uptake, it is essential to understand current uptake levels and better understand what motivates farmers to further adopt IPM. A new integrated pest management planning tool for Scottish growers has been launched, replacing a previous IPM plan. The new plan uses stakeholder derived metrics to value how important different interventions, such as rotations or varieties, are in achieving sustainable reductions in invertebrate pest, weed and disease risk.