New approaches to protecting oilseed crops from pests and diseases

Oilseed crops, such as oilseed rape, are important for food production and agriculture. However, pests and diseases can cause substantial yield losses, threatening both farm profitability and food security.

Restrictions on chemical pesticides, together with the development of resistance to fungicides and insecticides, are leaving growers with fewer options for controlling pests and diseases. Unpredictable weather conditions add to the challenges, making the need for new and sustainable crop protection strategies increasingly urgent.

Exploring alternatives to chemical pesticides

From 29 September to 1 October, researchers, agricultural advisors and other experts gathered at SLU's Alnarp campus for the 20th IOBC-WPRS Working Group Meeting on Integrated Control in Oilseed Crops.

The meeting highlighted a wide range of approaches to protecting oilseed crops while reducing dependence on chemical pesticides. These included biological control using natural enemies of pests, breeding crops with improved resistance to diseases and pests, and designing cropping systems that make crops less vulnerable to attack.

– We also discussed new technologies, such as RNA interference, which could give us new ways to control pests and diseases. Automated monitoring is another promising area, helping farmers decide when action is needed and which measures to take, says Hanna Friberg, researcher at SLU and one of the conference organisers.

Combining approaches for more sustainable crop protection

A central message from the meeting was that no single method is likely to solve the challenges facing oilseed crop production. Instead, combining different strategies will be essential to develop effective and sustainable crop protection. By integrating biological control, resistant crop varieties, improved cropping systems and new technologies, growers may be able to reduce pesticide use while maintaining crop yields.

As part of the programme, participants also visited SLU's Lönnstorp field research station, where they learned about ongoing research on innovative cropping systems, including strip cropping with winter oilseed rape and the development of field cress (Lepidium campestre) as a potential new oilseed crop in Sweden.

The conference also provided an opportunity for researchers, agricultural advisors and other experts from different countries to exchange experiences and discuss how new knowledge can be put into practice.

– We face many of the same challenges across Europe, but we also have different experiences and approaches to share. Bringing people together like this helps us find new solutions and move research closer to practical use in agriculture, concludes Nazanin Zamani-Noor, convenor of the working group.