An emergency summit
is to be held with the aim of finding industry-led solutions to the threat of
Chafer Grubs and Leatherjackets in the turf industry.
The Summit will take
place on May 9 2019 at Burton Albion Football, Staffordshire.
Attendance at this
industry summit is vital to those in the industry that want to develop a
long-term preventative strategy for Chafer Grubs and Leatherjackets.
Now that many of the
chemicals which were routinely used to keep golf courses and sports pitches
free of pests have been withdrawn, we need to find alternatives. This Summit
will explore the current challenges in sustaining turf quality in a
chemical-free environment.
Without proper
preparation and action prior to May this year, there is a high risk of
increased attack by Chafer Grubs and Leatherjackets. Many grounds
personnel are unaware of a problem until they see evidence - such as birds
picking insect larvae by uprooting the dead grass. However, prevention is
better than a cure and scientifically-developed natural pest control solutions
when applied in advance will help control the problem.
This event is
supported by Bionema, Rigby Taylor, Maxstim, EcoSpray and E. Marker A/S and is
held in association with The IOG and BIGGA.
Dr Minshad A Ansari,
Founder and CEO of Bionema, said: “This summit is the first step in working
together as an industry - pooling our knowledge and using all the tools we have
in an integrated way to achieve control of these devastating pests”
This emergency
summit will include:
- Current pest and disease
management in the UK: The push towards integrated approaches - Professor
John Moverley, Amenity Forum, UK
- Major turf pests and diseases
- Dr Kate Entwistle, The Turf Disease Centre, UK
- Rising threats of plant
parasitic nematodes in turf - Colin Fleming, Agri Food and Biosciences
Institute
- Biology of Chafers and
Leatherjackets - Dr Minshad Ansari, Bionema
- The role of Biostimulants in
turf management and root development - Richard Salvage, Maxstim
- The natural solution for pest
and disease control - Philip Charlton Smith, CEO, EcoSpray
- Current products and their
application: Do they interfere? - Peter Corbett, Rigby Taylor
- Natural solutions to control
of Chafer Grubs and Leatherjackets: How do they work? - Dr Minshad Ansari,
Bionema
- Chafer traps: A natural
device to monitor Chafer Beetle populations - Peter Corbett, Rigby Taylor
- Synergy between Chemical
& Biological solutions - Carsten Marker, E. Marker, Denmark
- Case study 1: Chafer Grub
control at the Grove - Phillip Chiverton, Golf Course & Estate Manager
at the Grove, UK
- Case study 2: Leatherjacket
control at Neath Golf Club - Mark Tucker, Head Greenkeeper, Neath Golf
Club, UK
The event will
establish the true extent of the problem faced by the turf and amenity sector,
offer a better understanding of the pests and the current controls available.
It will culminate in an interactive debate to help plan the next steps for the
industry to take to combat the pest threat.
The summit will
conclude with an insight into research and development into the control of
Chafer Grubs and Leatherjackets in turf and amenity sector by Dr Minshad Ansari
from Bionema.
Attendance is FREE,
but spaces are limited so please book early to avoid disappointment contact.
Please contact Matt Rogers m.rogers@bionema.com
– +44 (0) 7786991146
