Pests & Beneficials

The BCPC Pests and Beneficials Working Group was established in March 2015. The purpose of the group is to provide a forum for discussion of relevant research results and new legislation and new legislation, and impact on integrated pest management,

The group meets three times a year and delivers an Annual Review to an invited audience, including researchers, advisers, growers and industry. The first review was held on Tuesday 16 February 2016 at NIAB Park Farm, Cambridge and comprised presentations from invited speakers on topics of current interest including: pests in oilseed rape, bees and the impact of neonicotinoid withdrawal, with particular emphasis on practical utility in agriculture and horticulture.

The 6th Annual Review was held Virtually on Wednesday 27 January 2021 – for more details and to see the speaker’s presentations  click here.

The 7th Annual Review took place virtually on Wednesday 26 January 2022 – for details and to see the speaker’s presentations click here

"Research faces challenges to improve the evidence base. Potential conflicts of interest must be overcome in addition to bias and incentives that drive research pursuits." Charles Godfray - University of Oxford

Current membership of the group is

Name Company Email address Additional information
Larissa Collins Fera
Fera Entomology R&D Team Leader
IRAG member
Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society
Member of the Royal Entomological Society Outreach & Development Committee
Anna Morgan Defra
Defra Environmental Quality Directorate
Tom Pope (Chair) Harper Adams University
Harper Adams Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society
IRAG member
Jon Knight Independent Independent consultant
Chair BBRO Stakeholder Committee
Trustee East Malling Trust
Director at Crover Ltd
Nicky Tideswell CRD
CRD  
Julian Hasler NFU
NFU Farmer
Sam Cook Rothamsted Research
Rothamsted Research Senior Research Scientist.
Society & Entomology Convenor of the IOBC Working Group on Integrated Control in Oilseeds.
Alan Dewar Dewar Crop Protection
Dewar Crop Protection  
Chris Parsons Bayer Crop Protection
Bayer Crop Protection Agronomic solutions manager for arable herbicides and insecticides for the UK and Netherlands.
Andy Evans CHAP
Crop Health and Protection - CHAP Sector Team Lead
Chris Hartfield NFU
NFU Senior Regulatory Affairs Adviser
NFU Plant Health Unit
Becky Hilton Corteva
Dow Field Scientist
Duncan Coston ADAS
ADAS Crop Protection Consultant
James Cheesman Certis Belchim
Certis Belchim Technical Manager
Michael Thornton Procam
Procam Head of Crop Production
Rachel Wells James Hutton Institute
James Hutton Institute Senior Scientist, Crop Genetics.
Honorary lecturer at UEA
Max Newbert Syngenta
Syngenta Technical Manager Insecticides and Sustainability
Michelle Fountain NIAB EMR
NIAB EMR Head of Pest and Pathogen Ecology
Siobhan Hillman AHDB
AHDB Crop Protection Scientist (Cereals and Oilseeds)
Contact the Group
Supported by:
"Integrated pest management includes the use of insecticides but only when necessary, prolonging their active life, safeguarding the environment, maximising profit and contributing towards the sustainable intensification of OSR crops"
 Sam Cook - Rothamsted Research
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