News Releases

1st November 2005

BCPC Medals Awarded at BCPC International Congress

BCPC has awarded its highest accolade, the BCPC Medal to Professor Ian Crute, Dr Nick Sotherton and Professor Helmut Van Emden. The presentations were made, by BCPC President Hugh Oliver-Bellasis, at the President's dinner during the BCPC International Congress – Crop Science & Technology 2005, held at the SECC in Glasgow between 31 October and 2 November 2005. BCPC medals are awarded to people who have made an outstanding contribution to crop protection.

"Being recognised by one's professional peers is something I value highly and the fact that BCPC should consider my contributions worthy of this award is something that gives me much satisfaction," said Professor Ian Crute, as he accepted this award of industry recognition.

After qualifying with a first class honours in Botany and a PhD in plant pathology from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Ian Crute spent 13 years as a research leader in the genetics of plant-pathogen interactions and fungicide resistance at the National Vegetable Research Station at Wellesbourne.

In 1986 he went on a Fulbright Fellowship to the University of Wisconsin to work on the genetics of resistance in brassicas to fungal pathogens, returning to the UK a year later, as head of the Crop and Environment Protection department at HRI East Malling, where his management responsibilities covered plant pathology and entomology research on perennial horticultural crops. In 1993 Ian returned to Wellesbourne as head of plant pathology, and two years later, through his enthusiasm and experience became director with overall responsibility for research at the site. In 1999 Ian was appointed director of Rothamsted Research.

He was awarded the Research Medal of the Royal Agricultural Society of England in 1992 and became president of the British Society for Plant Pathology in 1995. He holds a visiting professorship at the University of Oxford and is a member of the BBSRC Strategy Board. In 2003, Ian gave a keynote address "Increased crop productivity from renewable inputs - a scientific challenge for the 21st century" at the first BCPC International Congress to be held in Glasgow.

In his career Dr Nick W Sotherton has focused on problem solving at the interface between agriculture and wildlife. After graduating with a first class honours degree in agricultural zoology from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Nick went onto the University of Southampton to take a PhD. Here, his ground breaking work focussed on agro-ecology and the sub-lethal effects on non-target species.

In 1982 Nick joined the Game Conservancy Trust as manager of the Farmland Ecology Unit heading the highly influential Cereals and Gamebirds Research Project. In 1993 he became director of research in the Lowlands for the Game Conservancy and since 1998 has been director of research. Much of today's UK agri-environment policy options are based on the work of The Game Conservancy Trust and reflect Nick's belief that wildlife can thrive on modern, high input arable farms. Not surprisingly Nick has been called on to serve on a number of advisory bodies including the Environmental Panel Advisory Committee on Pesticides, The Pesticides Forum and the Environmental Panel Sub-Group on Wider Biodiversity.

"Clearly I am honoured, and delighted, at being awarded a BCPC Medal," said Dr Sotherton. "Although, I am a little confused as well, my expertise is entomology but I do seem to have had a particularly long association with the BCPC Weeds Conferences where I have organised and chaired sessions when the event was run in Brighton."

Professor Helmut Van Emden on learning of his award said, "I am obviously thrilled at being awarded a BCPC medal, it really is a big compliment, and as an university academic it is good to have the practical side of teaching acknowledged as well as the academic,"

Helmut van Emden (almost universally known as ‘Van'), obtained both his BSc in zoology and applied entomology, and his PhD at Imperial College before moving to the University of Reading in 1961.

From lecturer in the Department of Horticulture Van progressed to become head the department in 1986 before being appointed to the Chair of Horticulture. Between 1992 and 1997 he was head of the School of Plant Sciences and retired in 1999 to become Emeritus Professor. He is also a Rothamsted Fellow and has held visiting appointments at the Universities of Queensland and California ( Berkley).

Most of Van's research has focused on insect-plant relations. His work on aphid nutrition and his pioneering work on the role of non-crop plants in the ecology of pests and their natural enemies led on the development of the ‘Pest Management Triad'. He predicted, as early as 1990, some of the potential disadvantages of GM crops – a topic on which he has written and lectured extensively.

With his colleague Dr Nigel Hague, he developed the MSc in the Technology of Crop Protection which has trained some 800 students since its inception in 1968. His policy has been to run practical classes to ensure the relevance of taught material to farm practices is kept in the forefront of students' thinking and reading. One of his proudest moments was when he was on the staff of a spray application course for ag-pilots in Australia and one said, "You're the first Prof. I've met who knows how to calibrate a spraying machine!"

Van has served as president of both the Royal Entomological Society and the Association of Applied Biologists, both societies have honoured him with honorary fellowship/membership.

For further information contact:
Frances McKim,
BCPC Press Manager
Tel: +44 (0) 1509 233219, Fax: +44 (0) 1509 211932.
Email: edpress@bcpc.org.