UK: New evidence on pollinator costs and benefits of neonicotinoids
August 28, 2015
From: AgProfessional
By Fera Science Ltd.
Farmers who use neonicotinoid seed coatings subsequently use less insecticide to control pests on oilseed rape, according to new research published by Nature today. But the study also demonstrated that more honey bee colonies were lost as the usage of imidacloprid, a first generation neonicotinoid, increased.
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Published in the Nature journal Scientific Reports the study showed, for the first time, that farmers who use neonicotinoid seed coatings reduced the number of foliar insecticide sprays used to control pests on oilseed rape. Farmers using neonicotinoids also saw significant yield benefits, but not in all years.
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