The UK sugar beet industry has been granted an emergency authorisation for the use of the neonicotinoid seed treatment, Cruiser SB, in 2021. Charlotte Cunningham reports.
The case was prepared by British Sugar, NFU Sugar and the British Beet Research Organisation, seeking a positive recommendation by the Expert Committee on Pesticides and then approval by Defra.
In 2018 the government supported new rules which prohibit the outdoor use of 3 neonicotinoids – clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam. In taking that position, the government made it clear that it could consider emergency authorisations (in accordance with the relevant legislation) in special circumstances where authorisation for limited and controlled use appears necessary because of a danger that cannot be contained by any other reasonable means and where the risk to people, animals and the environment, and in particular to bees and other pollinators, was considered acceptably low.
After consideration of all the issues, the government has decided to grant an application for emergency authorisation to allow use of a product containing the neonicotinoid thiamethoxam for the treatment of sugar beet seed in 2021. This is in recognition of the potential danger posed to the 2021 crop from beet yellows virus.
According to British Sugar, this decision very much puts UK growers back on a level playing field with EU countries.
Conditions for use
Conditions are attached to the emergency authorisation to ensure that, if the threshold for virus levels is reached and it becomes necessary to treat seeds, use of the product will be limited and controlled and any potential risks to pollinators will be mitigated to an acceptable level.
In practical terms, this means that the use of the Cruiser SB neonicotinoid seed treatment is subject to the Rothamsted Virus Yellows model reaching a pre-determined trigger point in February.
Growers will also be required to limit the sowing rate of treated seeds to achieve no greater than the normal commercial plant population, and to develop and implement their proposed programme to monitor soils and plants following use of the treated seed, according to Defra.
In anticipation of the Rothamsted aphid trigger being reached, next week growers will be invited to amend their 2021 seed order to include the application of Cruiser SB to seed, added British Sugar.
More information on the decision can be found here.
