Uptake of Integrated Pest Management in the UK Arable Sector

Article 14 of the Sustainable Use Directive requires all EU member states to promote and support the establishment of conditions for the implementation of Integrated Pest Management (IPM). IPM is not a new concept or activity and before the Sustainable Use Directive came into force most arable farmers were carrying out IPM to a greater or lesser extent. Many however did not realise that the measures they had been doing routinely for many years were IPM. For example, altering drilling dates to reduce weed, pest or disease incidence. The main obstacle to understanding that IPM is being undertaken is that some measures are embedded in farmers' activities as good crop management, but never really considered as IPM. There was also confusion as to what IPM actually entailed – some incorrectly thought it was a new concept that prevented the use of plant protection products (PPPs). Whilst general principles of IPM can be defined, the application of IPM is very site specific so what will work in one farm/field will not necessarily work in another farm/field situation. In an attempt to help growers collate IPM measures undertaken, the Voluntary Initiative for Pesticides (VI) revised the Crop Protection Management Plan (CPMP) to the IPM plan. CPMPs were developed by the VI in 2001 to encourage farmers to consider formally the environmental impact of their activities relating to pesticide use. The IPM plan is designed to help farmers meet the requirements of the Sustainable Use Directive, whilst increasing the understanding and promotion of IPM. Farmers are asked to complete the electronic based plans on an annual basis and return the forms to National Farmers' Union (NFU) where the data are collated and analysed. The data presented and discussed in this paper are from approximately 15,000 IPM returns up to July 2016 and covering an estimated area of three million ha, including LEAF sustainable farming and Conservation Grade IPM plans. The majority of responses are from England (95.2%) with Scotland (3.2%), Wales (1.1%) and Northern Ireland (0.5%) comprising the remaining returns.