As the risk of virus spread by aphids continues to rise due to climate change, BASF’s Integrated Pest Management (IPM) platform has sparked a wider conversation on sustainability and crop protection across the sector.
In 2023, BASF embarked on a journey that led to the creation of a uniquely ambitious IPM initiative featuring four crops – potatoes, sugar beet, peas, and carrots. Each was sown across a 2.5ha plot under three regimes – standard, mid-level, and high-level IPM.
“We’re delighted that our platform has become a catalyst within the industry,” says Steve Dennis, Head of Business and Technical Development at BASF. “At a time when the risk of virus spread by aphids is rising, it is more important than ever that we work together to find sustainable solutions for crop protection and promote best practices in agriculture.”
With nearly 650m2 of crop within each regime, it is one of the largest IPM platforms ever established in the UK.
Results – including aphid counts and tissue samples – are not due until early 2026, but the impact it has had on the industry is already evident. The trial has been shortlisted for the British Potato Review’s Best Environmental/Sustainability Initiative Award.
“The platform has already inspired and challenged thinking among agricultural stakeholders, including Defra, regulators, and members of the food value chain,” explains Steve.
“It has brought together growers, agronomists, and experts from organisations such as Scottish Agronomy, BBRO, and PGRO to share knowledge and best practice too.”
BASF recognises the role of the platform’s co-operator, VCS, who understood the importance of mirroring real-world scenarios and established the crops using farm – not trials – machinery.
“VCS was involved from an early stage in planning the platform,” says Steve. “Their expertise enabled the complex multi-crop design, an approach that went far beyond conventional practice, and one that only a handful of contractors could realistically deliver.
“Equally important has been the relationship with the grower who contributed to the preparation of plots and IPM areas.”
A 12 m wide nectar and pollen mix, established a year in advance of the crop, surrounded both the mid- and high-level IPM plots.
“There are 12 species in the mix, chosen and managed as a habitat for beneficial insects,” Steve adds. “Where applicable, we also disguised the soil surrounding crops in the ‘high IPM’ regime using a dye, as aphids are known to use colour differentiation between soil and plant to identify potential hosts.”
Crops in this regime were also sprayed with a beneficial insect attractant, and the surrounding nectar and pollen mix was florally enhanced to compensate for the loss of annuals from year one and to maximise its value as a habitat.
The ‘standard IPM’ regime replicated tactics currently seen on many UK farms; aphid populations were closely monitored and when they exceeded industry-accepted thresholds, a novel insecticide from BASF (subject to approval) was applied.
Reflecting on the impact of the platform, Steve concludes: “We’re proud to have played a leading role in this initiative, which aims to promote sustainable food production, and are delighted that the success of the platform is already being recognised.”