Aspects 122: International Advances in Pesticide Application 2014

Description

This international event marks the 8th occasion of this biennial conference and provides an opportunity to discuss pesticide (and bio-pesticide) application issues in an informal setting with platform and poster presentations. Key workers from research institutes, industry and regulatory authorities provide a unique mix of biological and engineering sciences.

Many governments of late have realised the importance of agricultural technologies with renewed emphasis on funding strategies aimed at developing new ideas and bringing developments to market. All this, in an effort to provide sustained development of their agricultural industry and food security while globally offering sustenance for an ever growing population. While much of these efforts gravitate towards the informatics and precision control technologies we should not forget the expanse that is crop protection and application technology’s part. The adoption of the holistic approaches of Integrated Pest Management offer growers’ avenues for control as the registration pressure on traditional chemistry continues to erode the farmers’ armoury. The diversion of attention towards the development of bio-pesticides by many major companies reinforces this shift in attitude and expectations, but may also encourage accepted application methods to be re-examined.  While the use of larger more sophisticated machines in the application of pesticides and bio pesticides offer opportunities in maximising production on an industrial scale it must be remembered that assistance on a small scale can also offer considerable benefits.  The papers presented here contribute to the wealth of knowledge needed to support a safe, sustainable and efficient industry.

This conference’s invited speaker is: Francoise Lescourret, Director of Research, INRA, Avignon, France.

Key topic areas for sessions include:

• Precision Farming
• Spraying
• Dust Emissions
• Formulation
• Bystander and Resident Exposure
• Off-Target Deposition
• Spray Drift
• Posters
• Fruit Spraying
• Spray Physics

Thanks go to the session organisers (Tom Robinson, Ben Magri, Colin Mountford-Smith, Jan van de Zande, Paolo Balsari, Bill Taylor, Simon Cooper, Richard Glass, David Stock, Paul Miller, Philip Carpenter, Per Gummer Andersen and Bill Jones) for their work on editing the papers and finally to Carol and Bernadette at the AAB Office for organising the conference and producing this book.

Simon Cooper

Convenor, Pesticide Application Group