There is a practical question facing UK growers: if we lose access to some pesticide actives as our rules align with the EU, what will we use instead?
The proposed UK–EU agreement is expected to take effect around mid-2027. The government says pesticide active substances and residue limits in Great Britain will align with EU rules. We do not yet have the final detail of which products will change, when, or what transition arrangements there might be. (gov.uk)
For me, this makes biological control more urgent. But a predatory mite or parasitoid is rarely a product you can reach for at the last minute when a familiar spray disappears. It needs early monitoring, suitable conditions, compatible crop protection choices and a plan for what happens if pest pressure gets ahead of it.
That is where I think the discussion needs to move. Which actives might we lose? Which crops rely on them? Where does biocontrol already work well, and where are the genuine gaps?
Growers need time to test workable programmes in real crops. The more we can do that before the rules change, the better prepared we will be.