They are:

• AIC’ s Trade Assurance Scheme for Combinable Crops

• British Egg Industry Council’ s Lion code

• Duck Assurance Scheme

• Farm Assured Welsh Livestock

• Laid in Britain

• Northern Ireland Beef & Lamb Farm Quality Assurance

• Northern Ireland Farm Quality Assured Cereals

• Quality British Turkey

• Quality Meat Scotland

• Red Tractor Farm Assurance

• Scottish Quality Crops Farmers presenting their membership document at sales outlets as proof of competence

will continue to be able to purchase stewardship-label professional rodenticides from 1 January onwards. The audit standards of all 11 assurance schemes have been verified for compliance with stewardship conditions and the CRRU UK Code of Best Practice, which broadly require a systematic approach to rodent pest control, with documentation and regular independent audit procedures.

In parallel, sellers of professional use rodenticides to pest controllers, farmers and gamekeepers are required by 31 December to have registered for a stewardship pointof-sale audit. Administered by BASIS Registration, this requires authorisation holders( i. e. rodenticide manufacturers) to ensure UK sellers of their professional use products

pass the audit and maintain this standard for the future.

Farmers outside the approved schemes have three rodenticide use options:

1. Take an approved training course and show the certificate when purchasing rodenticide.

2. Employ a certified professional pest controller.

3. Use rodenticide products authorised for amateur use.

www. thinkwildlife. org

CHAP( Crop Health and Protection) needs your help to control this pest.

CHAP is one of Government’ s four Agri- Tech centres, which does what it says on the tin – we promote crop health and protection. But we can’ t do it alone. Our researchers are currently developing diagnostic techniques to identify pesticide-resistant Cabbage Stem Flea Beetle( CSFB) populations in the field, along with novel methods of controlling this pest in the future. To achieve these goals, CHAP is looking for volunteers across the UK who grow members of the Brassica family( including Oilseed rape, cabbage and turnip, etc.) that are affected by CSFB, to work with us by sending in plant samples over this year’ s growing season.

What is the Aim of this Study?

CHAP has set itself many goals to help improve crop fitness and overall productivity. Two of these goals involve developing novel methods of pest control, and deploying

diagnostic techniques to the field that can inform the client of how tolerant or susceptible a pest population is to an active ingredient before a pesticide has been applied to the area. The benefit of these tests is that they

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can inform the farmers and their agronomists how a pest population will respond to a particular pesticide, enabling you to make informed choices on your management strategy for the growing season.

How to Apply?

If you are interested in helping CHAP with this exciting new opportunity to control this pest, we would like to hear from you. All

you need to do is get in touch and we will tell you more.

CABI( Novel methods of control): Belinda Luke, b. luke @ cabi. org. 01491 829 034

Rothamsted( Diagnostic techniques): Kirsty McInnes, kirsty. mcinnes @ rothamsted. ac. uk. 01582 938 176

What is Required from you, the Volunteer?

We will send you out a sampling protocol form in the post, which will explain what you need to do step by step. It’ s very simple but it could make a huge difference to farmers like yourself.

We’ re happy to answer any questions and, of course, you’ ll be among the first to be given a report of the findings from our study.

Please help us to help you!