In 2013, the European Union on the advice of the European Food Safety Authority restricted the use of certain neonicotinoid insecticides amid claims of adverse effects on pollinators and other wildlife. More recently, the UK government has called for a refocus to deliver a precautionary, hazard-based approach to pesticide use to help protect bees. This conference will hear from experts from academia, the crop protection industry, government and regulatory agencies, in addition to beekeepers and farmers, to explore the data behind the ban, the impact of alternative control methods, and what the options are for the future, through promotion of sound scientific evidence to aid decision-making.
This event is designed to appeal to academic and industrial scientists involved in all aspects of crop research and production, and ecosystem services including pollination, and other stakeholders interested in the latest developments.
| 10.00 | Registration and refreshments | |
| 10.30 | Chair (morning session) Guy Smith, National Farmers Union, UK | |
| 10.40 | Elucidating risk of neonicotinoid exposure to bees and understanding impacts on genes through to populations Richard Gill, Imperial College, UK | |
| 11.05 | Balancing the debate on neonicotinoids in agriculture: weighing the evidence for impacts on bees and possible consequences of their loss Keith Walters, Imperial College London, UK | |
| 11.30 | The adverse impact of the neonicotinoid seed treatment ban on crop protection in oilseed rape in the UK Alan Dewar, Dewar Crop Protection, UK | |
| 11.55 | Three years of banning neonicotinoid insecticides based on sub-lethal effects: can we expect effects? Tjeerd Blacquiére, Wageningen, The Netherlands | |
| 12.20 | Flash presentations for ‘selected’ PhD/ post-doc posters (1 slide; 1 min) | |
| 12.30 | Lunch and posters | |
| 13.30 | Chair (afternoon session) Lin Field, Rothamsted Research, UK | |
| 13.40 | The risk of pesticide dust emission from treated seeds during seed drilling David Nuyttens, ILVO, Belgium | |
| 14.05 | A Beekeepers perspective on the neonicotinoid ban Norman Carreck, University of Sussex, UK | |
| 14.30 | Regulatory assessment of plant protection products (pesticides): context and objectives Anne Alix, Dow AgroSciences, UK | |
| 14.55 | Bee Safety of Neonicotinoids: Evidence from studies conducted under realistic field conditions Christian Maus, Bayer CropScience, Germany | |
| 15.20 | A review of the evidence base on neonicotinoids and pollinators from the point of view of the crop protection industry Peter Campbell, Syngenta, UK | |
| 15.45 | Refreshments | |
| 16.15 | Panel discussion | |
| 16.55 | Closing remarks and poster prizes |
Please click here to view the event flyer.
Len Copping, SCI/LGC Consultants
Robin Blake, SCI/CSI Europe Ltd
£120 . . . . . . . . . . . . . SCI Members and Academics
£45 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SCI Student Members
£150 . . . . . . . . . . . . . Non-Members
For booking terms and conditions click here.
SCI
14/15 Belgrave Square
London
SW1X 8PS
