Interviews across the fresh-produce supply chain point to crop-specific knowledge gaps, uncertainty and limited advice as obstacles to integrated pest management.
Expectations for high-quality, blemish-free fruit and vegetables can make growers wary of changing pest-management practices, according to a study of barriers to integrated pest management (IPM) in UK fresh produce. Researchers from the University of Warwick interviewed 24 stakeholders from across the sector, including growers, agronomists, retailers, policymakers, researchers and crop-protection businesses. Their analysis identified ten connected barriers to IPM uptake.
IPM supports more resilient food production by combining different ways of managing pests, including crop and habitat management, monitoring, biological controls and, where needed, pesticides. Its application varies between crops and production systems, and the study found that this diversity makes a single definition or policy approach difficult to apply across the whole fresh-produce industry.
Interviewees also described a perceived risk that changing pest-management practices could affect crop quality or consistency. Strict quality requirements can make routine pesticide use feel like the safer option, even where growers are interested in using more IPM approaches.
Knowledge gaps add to the challenge. Participants identified research needs in areas including crop monitoring, pest thresholds, catch crops and biopesticides. They also pointed to limited access to independent advice, training and knowledge-exchange opportunities, with the closure of AHDB Horticulture in 2022 leaving a gap in sector-wide support.
Lead researcher, Professor Rosemary Collier OBE, said: "Improving IPM uptake will require more than setting general pesticide-reduction ambitions. IPM has to work within the realities of each crop and production system. Growers need reliable, practical information on what works, as well as the support to test and adopt new approaches without taking unacceptable risks to crop quality or supply. Our research highlights the requirement for crop-specific strategies and targets, better ways to monitor progress, stronger links between researchers and agronomists, and renewed investment in research, training and biological-product stewardship."
The ten connected barriers to IPM uptake themes identified from analysis following interviews with 24 stakeholders are:
- Different meanings and levels of IPM adoption across crops: practices vary between production sectors, making a single approach difficult.
- Policy uncertainty: interviewees raised uncertainty about pesticide targets, future trade deals and the lack of an overall strategy.
- Limited policy support and measurement: they saw no effective system to encourage or track IPM uptake.
- Perceived risk to crop quality: growers may worry that changing pest controls could affect the appearance or quality retailers expect.
- Knowledge gaps: there isn't enough practical knowledge about IPM across the range of fresh-produce crops.
- Insufficient research and weak connections: gaps are harder to address when the research base is underfunded and links between stakeholders are poor.
- Limited peer-to-peer sharing: competition within the industry can discourage growers from sharing knowledge and experience.
- Loss of knowledge-exchange capacity: the closure of AHDB Horticulture left a gap in sector-wide support.
- Inadequate training and advice: available courses and advisers haven't kept pace with the growing complexity of IPM and crop production.
- Over-reliance on technology: new technologies can help, but focusing on them too heavily may distract from developing IPM's underlying principles.
