The number of products available to growers for their crop protection programmes continues to fall, with the loss of active substances and increased occurrence of pesticide resistance with aphids, cabbage stem flea beetle, blackgrass etc.

CHAP provides facilities for early stage screening of potential biopesticides, with access to a national collection of microbial organisms held in storage in the cryotank unit at the Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International (CABI). Larger scale field and glasshouse efficacy studies can be done with partners at STC and the University of Newcastle, which can include optimising timing and application techniques as part of an integrated pest management (IPM) programme.