Defra has approved an emergency temporary authorisation for the use of the neonicotinoid pesticide treatment, Cruiser SB, on the 2022 sugar beet crop in England for the control of virus yellows.

Sugar beet crops have been severely affected by virus yellows of late, with 2020 yields down by a quarter on previous years.

Defra said that with 63% of the UK’s sugar comes from domestic production of sugar beet, supplies could be at risk if a significant amount of the national crop is infected.

It adds that the strictly time limited emergency authorisation of this neonicotinoid treatment – Syngenta’s Cruiser SB – will provide emergency protection against this virus, which could significantly impact yields of the sugar beet crop while the beet industry develops alternative solutions.

Strict requirements

Defra urged that the exceptional temporary use will be tightly controlled and only permitted in very specific circumstances when strict requirements are met.

A spokesperson said: “This decision has not been taken lightly and is based on robust scientific assessment. We evaluate the risks very carefully and only grant temporary emergency authorisations for restricted pesticides in special circumstances when strict requirements are met.

“Last year the threshold was not met so the authorisation was never exercised. Strict criteria remain in place meaning this authorisation will only be used if necessary.”

The maximum amount of treatment approved for use is 6% of the quantity of active substance applied on a range of crops in 2016 before neonicotinoids were prohibited.

Conditions of the authorisation include reduced application rate as well as a prohibition on any flowering crop being planted in the same field where the product has been used within 32 months of a treated sugar beet crop.

Initial threshold

There will be an initial threshold for use, meaning that seed treatment will only be used if the predicted level of virus is at or above 19% of the national crop according to independent modelling from Rothamsted.

If the virus threshold is not met then the neonicotinoid treated seed will not be used – as was the case at the start of 2021 when this step was last taken.