The Voluntary Initiative (VI) was established 25 years ago to demonstrate the highest standards of plant protection stewardship.

It is a cross-industry approach to the use of agrochemicals that has been accepted by the UK government throughout this period.

The VI's representative in Northern Ireland is Co. Down agronomist, Bruce Steele.

He spoke at a recent National Register of Sprayer Operators (NRoSO) road show, hosted at the Greenmount campus of the College of Agriculture of Enterprise (CAFRE) in Co. Antrim.

The implementation of integrated pest management (IPM) practices is a key driver for VI, according to Steele.

He explained: “Northern Ireland’s mixed farming practices fully complement this approach to production agriculture.

According to the VI representative, technological advancements are also taking place that can deliver inherently higher IPM standards, citing the development of new cereal varieties with tolerance to Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus as a case in point.

“In turn, this has brought about a reduced requirement for aphicide within the arable sector," he added.

“Delivering on IPM requires a whole farm approach. But, at the end of the day, the principles that the initiative is built around must deliver a sustainable future for those farmers committed to it.”

Protecting bees

Steele highlighted a number of proactive measures that farmers and contractors are taking throughout the UK, designed to ensure that the use of crop inputs can be achieved while ensuring the production of food in ways that are wholly compliant with the highest environmental and conservation-related standards.

One of these is the ‘BeeConnected scheme’, a service that brings farmers and beekeepers together.

It acts to keep beekeepers notified when a neighbouring farmer is applying insecticides to their crops.

Operators registered for the programme enter the details of when and where they are planning to spray an insecticide that may present a risk to bees.

This could be a flowering crop, or where the field has a conservation buffer strip.

A simple notification will be sent to neighbouring beekeepers registered with the system. 

Steele added: “Maintaining water quality in rural areas will be a key requirement for farmers during the period ahead.

“And again the use of IPM will be to the fore in making this happen.

“Driving this will be the use of the most appropriative plant protection products at all times combined with their appropriate application.”