Development of integrated strategies to control cabbage root fly on radish

This project aims to develop an integrated control strategy for the cabbage root fly (CRF) on radish. G's Fresh supplies ca. 65% of all the radish to the UK market and is forced to rely on routine application of chlorpyrifos, an organophosphorus insecticide, to control CRF. This pesticide has a number of undesirable characteristics, is rarely 100% effective and over-reliance on one treatment is risky. We will investigate all potential components of an IPM strategy that may have commercial application, including population modelling together with cultural, physical, biological and insecticidal control. The project plan will: review historical data on crop management and damage levels and use phenological model to link this to the cabbage root fly life cycle; review potential components of an IPM strategy; design and implement experiments (field-scale and smaller) to evaluate individual components; design and implement trials to evaluate the most promising components in combination to develop a strategy; evaluate the IPM strategy in a commercial context; and summarise and disseminate information. The key innovation will be the development of an IPM strategy for a rapidly-growing root crop, grown to a high specification that is based on a sound understanding of the biology and behaviour of the target pest.