Growing Opportunities: Pest Management in a New UK–EU Landscape

The next BCPC PESTS & BENEFICIALS REVIEW will take place 24 November 2026

Warwick University Conference Centre
Event fee: £15.00+VAT

This Year’s Theme

The 2026 review will focus on the opportunities arising from the UK–EU SPS (Sanitary and Phytosanitary) reset for pest and beneficial management in UK agriculture. Rather than dwelling on regulatory complexity, we want to explore the practical, positive implications for growers – what new tools, approaches, and market access could realignment bring? The day will cover topics including product and IPM opportunities, breeding and precision breeding, farm economics, and grower perspectives from both sides of the Channel. We will finish the meeting with a workshop to generate an industry response to highlight any issues or challenges we foresee and want to highlight to the relevant policy bodies.

DRAFT PROGRAMME

Session 1: Context Setting – SPS Reset Overview, to include Precision Breeding. Chris Hartfield, NFU

Session 2: Product and IPM Opportunities. Chris Hartfield (NFU) – CP SPS alignment impact
Breeder talk on SPS realignment impact.

Session 3/Lunch: PhD/early-career short talks and posters. Speakers TBC

Session 4: Farm Finances – CAP vs SFI. Graham Redman (Andersons Centre)

Session 5: Grower Perspective – EU vs UK Comparison. Speakers TBC

Session 6: Workshop/Discussion – Workshop to synthesise key concerns, opportunities, and questions.

In 2025 the BCPC Weeds Review, Diseases Review, and Pests and Beneficials Review were combined into a single event, on 27 November.

Presentations available on YouTube
Click here for BCPC Joint Review Playlist.

Or to view powerpoint slides only click on the session headline below.

Chairman’s introduction:  Sir Peter Kendall
Setting the Scene: Prof Paul Wilson, Nottingham University

Session 1: Changing Practices

• Defra Update on IPM and Pesticide Resistance – Holly Alpren, Defra
• Is regenerative agriculture compatible with sustainable crop protection? – Jonathan Storkey, Rothamsted
• Regenerative Agriculture research at the Allerton Project – Jenny Bussell, Allerton Project
• ‘Green Grassland Corridor’ and beneficial insects – Patrick Barker – EJ Barker & Sons

Session 2: Solutions & New Technologies

• Precision Breeding – Opportunities & Challenges for UK farmers – Tom Allen-Stevens, BOFIN
• Dyson Farming: Past, Present and Future – Ben Abell, Dyson
• Agriculture, AI and Robotics  – Simon Pearson, Lincolnshire Institute for AgriFood Technology

Panel Discussion & Q&A

PhD/early career Posters

• Understanding true eyespot disease of cereals: past, present & future – Fareed Bhatti
• Understanding the genetic source of resistance against the Barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) in a resistant wheat variety – Iza Sandoval-Carvajal
• Fungal spore dispersal in UK arable crop systems under current and future environmental conditions – Patrick McClean
• Modelling regional scale fungicide resistance in Septoria tritici blotch with heterogeneous grower behaviour to inform resistance management – Iona McCabe
• Effects of environmental factors and pathogen populations on severity of light leaf spot on oilseed rape’  – Javeria Wajid
• ENIGMA I – Wireworm IPM project – Larissa Collins
• Can Tomato Ketch-up to S. dulcamara’s R.solanacearum resistance? – Kelis Fisher
• Stem diseases of wheat – Bela Fistric

Previous Pest and Benficials Review presentations can be viewed from the links below: