We are an internationally recognised centre for translational research in sustainable agriculture, horticulture and food security.
The School of Life Sciences was ranked 2nd in the UK for Agriculture, Food and Veterinary research in the Government's 2014 “Research Excellence”
Impacts of COVID-19 on the Food System
'The food system is a complex web of activities including the production, processing, transport and consumption of food. However, the Covid-19 pandemic is illustrating its flaws and fragility' - article by Catherine Price (a Warwick alumnus)
The Potential for Decision Support Tools to Improve the Management of Root-Feeding Fly Pests of Vegetables in Western Europe
Rosemary Collier, Dominique Mazzi,Annette Folkedal Schjøll, Quentin Schorpp,Gunda Thöming , Tor J. Johansen, Richard Meadow , Nicolai V. Meyling, Anne-Marie Cortesero, Ute Vogler, Michael T. Gaffney and Martin Hommes
Several important vegetable crops grown outdoors in temperate climates in Europe can be damaged by the root-feeding larvae of Diptera (Delia radicum, Delia floralis, Chamaepsila rosae, Delia platura, Delia florilega, Delia antiqua). Knowledge of pest insect phenology is a key component of any Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategy, and this review considers the methods used to monitor and forecast the occurrence of root-feeding flies as a basis for decision-making by growers and the ways that such information can be applied. It has highlighted some current management approaches where such information is very useful for decision support, for example, the management of C. rosae with insecticidal sprays and the management of all of these pests using crop covers. There are other approaches, particularly those that need to be applied at sowing or transplanting, where knowledge of pest phenology and abundance is less necessary. Going forward, it is likely that the number of insecticidal control options available to European vegetable growers will diminish and they will need to move from a strategy which often involves using a single ‘silver bullet’ to a combination of approaches/tools with partial effects (applied within an IPM framework). For the less-effective, combined methods, accurate information about pest phenology and abundance and reliable decision support are likely to be extremely important.
AHDB Horticulture Pest Bulletin, AHDB Horticulture Pest Blog
Horticulture Innovation Partnership
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations have declared 2020 as the International Year of Plant Health (IYPH) and have called for organisations to raise global awareness on how protecting plant health can help end hunger, reduce poverty, protect the environment, and boost economic development.
Much of the research in the School of Life Sciences is aimed at improving crop productivity and combating pests and diseases while conserving the environment in order to feed an increasing population.
Each month, for the remainder of the year, the Crop Centre will be presenting a new article to highlight some of this work that relates to IYPH 2020.
