Emergency Summit for the Control of Leatherjackets announced

Date:2021/6/16

The Emergency Summit for the Control of Leatherjackets using Integrated Pest Management takes place on Wednesday 14th July. Join us at this free virtual event to learn effective management strategies for these increasingly prevalent turf pests. 

Leatherjacket larvae are causing extensive damage to turf – this year, these pests have reached an all-time high, thanks to a lack of effective chemical pesticides, and the fact that they have thrived in quiet, unused areas during the COVID pandemic. 

Since the banning of the chemical pesticide Chlorpyrifos in 2016, leatherjacket populations have significantly increased year by year. On top of this, up to 20-30% of this year’s population explosion has been attributed to COVID 19 restrictions, which affected regular turf maintenance practices. The damage they have caused has resulted in the closure of several golf courses across the UK, while hundreds of fairways and greens have been left unplayable. Unfortunately, it is probably not unreasonable to expect even more severe infestations in the future, in the absence of control methods.  

There is no quick fix to these infestations, but there are effective management strategies that can help control this pest. To help the turf industry deal with the problem, the World Bioprotection Forum (WBF; a not-for-profit organisation) has organised an Emergency Summit on 14th July 2021. This virtual event, which is free to attend, will explain how to use cultural, physical, mechanical, chemical, and biological methods to control pests such as leatherjackets in the golf/sports turf and amenity sector. 

The Emergency Summit is being organised by the World Bioprotection Forum, a not-for-profit organisation.  Our distinguished faculty include: 

- Dr Minshad Ansari, Founder and CEO of Bionema Ltd

- Professor Ralf-Udo Ehlers, Founder of e-nema GmbH

- Glenn Kirby, Technical Manager at Syngenta

- Peter Corbett, Rigby Taylor Ltd 

- Mark Tucker, Head Greenkeeper at Neath Golf Course 

The event is free to attend. Simply register at https://biopesticidesummit.com/leatherjacket-emergency-summit-registration/ 

Contact:

Dr Minshad Ansari

Chairman of the WBF

minshad.ansari@worldbioprotectionforum.com

Dr Sarah Harding

Director of Communications

sarah.harding@worldbioprotectionforum.com