Four ways to encourage nature-friendly pest control

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is no stranger to most growers. But it should not be seen as just a tick-box exercise, warns Caroline Corsie, agronomist and senior land adviser for Worcestershire Wildlife Trust.

Through the Defra-led Countryside Stewardship Facilitation Fund, Ms Corsie has been supporting a network of growers in the Midlands to reduce pesticide use on-farm, by working hand-in-hand with nature in a combination of ways.

She outlines the fundamental principles of each farm’s IPM plan.

“It’s all about making use of natural pest enemies, including predators, parasites, and pathogens, to stay on top of pest populations.

“Farmers should also factor in that many insect species have stages in their life cycle where they are pollinators, so there can be multiple benefits.”

An IPM plan should be based on minimising chemical inputs, she says.

“This approach can help cut pesticide costs, plus with funding available for work that helps prevent soil and water pollution, the finances should stack up in your favour.”

Funding for grassland margins on arable land

• Priority item for pesticide and nitrate catchments

• £2,255/ha (5 years) or £902/ha (2 years)

• Minimum of six metre margin,  which can be added to pre-existing margins

• May be topped, mown and baled after
16 July

In pesticide priority areas, there is also funding available for using alternative weed management techniques, says Ms Clarke.

“Mechanical weeding techniques can greatly reduce herbicide use, a key element of the IPM approach, to help protect predator populations.

“This also means there’s less potential for chemical inputs to enter watercourses and groundwater, while reducing runoff from capped soils.

“It’s a positive outcome all-round – minimising input costs, benefitting wildlife and protecting water quality,” she adds.

Funding for  non-chemical weed control equipment for arable crops

• Priority item for pesticide catchments

• 50% match funding of up to £10,000 for equipment purchases

• Equipment options include inter-row weeders, rakes, comb harrows and hoes

Helping predators thrive

Within a farm’s IPM plan, Ms Corsie recommends taking time to build habitats for insects that are natural predators of crop pests.

This can help maintain balance in the farm ecosystem and safeguard yields from pest threats.

“For example, the 7-spot ladybird is one hunter of pests that threaten cereal, potato, and sugar beet crops,” she explains.

“Just one of these ladybirds can eat up to 5,000 aphids in its lifetime, so it’s well worth growers looking after populations of helpful predators such as these.”

‘The big four’ – practical tips

To help achieve more nature-friendly pest management on-farm, Ms Corsie advocates focusing on the following factors.

“We term shelter, food, habitat and low stress as the ‘big four’,” she explain.

“By fostering these key elements within an arable system, farmers can encourage the presence of pest enemies and help beneficial populations thrive.”

    1    Shelter 

Ms Corsie explains that providing safe shelter throughout the year for natural defenders is a crucial place to start.

“It’s great to see many farmers already creating and enhancing sheltered habitats for farmland wildlife, in the form of hedges, woodland, or tussocky grassland, for example, providing vital protection for pest predators.

But she says it is not just about maintaining sheltered margins.

“The best IPM results can be attained when farmers create sheltered spaces such as beetle banks within fields, not just at their edges.

“There are certain predatory insects, like the carabid beetle, that may not travel further than 100 metres to source their prey.

“So creating sheltered places across fields helps to ensure natural defender populations are evenly distributed, rather than just being effective in one place.”

   2    Food 

Within the field, Ms Corsie says creating an environment rich in diverse food sources, as well as shelter, is vital to entice the helpful predators in, so they are closer to pests such as aphids, fly larvae and slugs present in a crop.

Food can also be provided in the form of a companion crop or wildflower meadow, for example.

“Wildflowers are brilliant for providing nectar, drawing in beneficial insects, such as the European Hornet, Parasitoid Wasp and Hornet Hoverfly, which are all highly efficient aphid predators,” she says.

Minimal tillage also encourages a healthy earthworm population and organic manure application helps feed soil microbes too.

“No single system is a panacea,” she adds.

“However sensitive soil management practices are especially valuable for creating suitable conditions for detritus feeders, which break down organic matter in the soil, benefitting nutrient cycling and overall soil health.”

   3    Habitat 

Beyond food, beneficial predators require a suitable microclimate for dormancy, foraging, and breeding.

To complete their full lifecycle and be as helpful as possible to growers, Ms Corsie explains that natural pest controllers need a habitat that is managed throughout the year to provide them with cover for each life stage.

“This vegetation should be as diverse as possible to help encourage a variety of natural enemies that feed on a range of pest species,” she says.

“For example, grassy field margins serve as great shelters and vital corridors for many invertebrate species, offering a safe space for overwintering and pupation – the stage when larvae develop into an adult insect.”

They also create barriers that help impede pest movement between crops.

   4    Low stress 

As for us humans, Ms Corsie explains a low stress environment is critical for natural defenders to thrive in an arable system.

“It’s incredibly important to be mindful of pesticide use, especially insecticides and certain fungicides,” she says.

“Growers can be nervous about reining back on insecticide application, especially in light of new pest outbreaks, such as the recent turnip sawfly attacks threatening oilseed rape and stubble turnip crops.”

This nervousness can understandably lead growers to be tempted to spray pesticide when a pest risk threshold is still relatively low.

Ms Corsie urges farmers not to react too swiftly when there are reports of pest outbreaks in UK crops.

“Always discuss the risk level for your crop with your agronomist to weigh up whether spraying could do more harm than good, e.g. by affecting beneficial predators, and aggravating the development of pesticide resistance.

“Consider the impact of other key factors such as rotations and drilling dates too,” she advises.

“If it’s necessary to use some pesticide within your IPM plan, grassy margins provide protection against drift for pest predators, amongst a wide range of wildlife.

“These margins can be further protected by using low drift nozzles, or evaluating the potential for unsprayed crop headlands.”

How to apply for STEPS

Through its tailored funding options, STEPS provides a solid foundation for farmers to embrace IPM.

Follow these steps to find out which funding options you could be eligible for:

1. Check you’re in a priority catchment here: www.stwater.co.uk/steps

2. To increase your chances of a successful application, seek advice from your local Severn Trent agricultural adviser on what options would best suit your farm and make the greatest positive impact on the environment.

3. Fill out your application online: www.stwater.co.uk/steps

4. Make sure your application is in by 31 December 2023, bearing in mind that you will have 12 months to complete the work after you have been accepted.