BAPL / Niab Apple and Pear Technical Day

British Apples & Pears Ltd and Niab are hosting this technical day to inform the industry of some of the most important findings from BAPL-funded and other research projects. The event will take place at The Mumford Building at Niab’s East Malling research site (ME19 6BJ). For those unable to attend in person, a video link will be set up to allow delegates to attend remotely.

09:45 Arrive and coffee

Session 1: Technical Strategy for Apples and Pears

10:10 Welcome (Mario Caccamo Niab, Rob Saunders BAPL Technical Committee)

10:15 BAPL update (Ali Capper BAPL)

10:30 Place based innovation for horticulture, with national impact (Simon Barnes GKM)

10:45 Overview of how BAPL research is supporting apple and pear growers (Rachel McGauley, BAPL)

10:55 Crop Protection for British Apples and Pears, the good the bad and the potential (Simon Conway & Carlos Duarte, HCP Ltd)

11:15 Comfort break

Session 2: Disease Control

11:35 A whole orchard approach to managing apple canker (Matevz Papp-Rupar, Niab)

12:15 Improving Resilience in Scab Control (Jonathan Blackman, Hutchinsons)

12:35 Scab resistance (Don Pendergrast, Agrii)

12:50 Lunch

Session 3: Pest Control

13:50 Season long control of priority pests (Alex Radu, Agrovista)

14:10 Novel strategies for management of apple blossom weevil (Sarah Arnold, Niab)

14:25 Augmenting the apple canopy with earwigs to enhance woolly apple aphid control (Michelle Fountain, Niab)

14:40 Update on invasive pests and new ant baits for rosy apple aphid control (Francis Wamonje, Niab)

15:00 Comfort break

Session 4: Living orchards

15:20 Arboricrop (Graham Dow, Niab)

15:35 POME: Precision orchard management for the environment (Charles Whitfield, Niab)

15:50 Holistic biological soil health (Flora O’Brien, Niab)

16:00 Close