Oilseed rape flourishes without bee-killing chemicals
As you know, Buglife have been campaigning extensively on neonicotinoids after finding out that they’re harmful to pollinating insects such as bumblebees and other types of wildlife. Our UK Government, Pesticide companies and National Farmer’s Union have long argued against us, saying that neonicotinoids are essential for farmers as they protect the growing crop against pests, especially for oilseed rape.
Now, the first harvest results of oilseed rape planted without neonicotinoid seed treatments have come in, and farmers are experiencing a better than usual crop – yields are higher than the 10 year average. 90% of the harvest has come in and yields are between 3.6 and 3.8 tonnes per hectare, higher than the normal farm average of 3.5. This suggests that the increase in pollinating insects after not using the chemicals, has helped the oilseed rape achieve fantastic yields and has outweighed any losses from pests.
This means the Government’s recent controversial decision to allow these banned bee-killing chemicals to be used in four eastern counties as an ‘emergency’ measure is nonsense.
Buglife is now calling on the UK Government to reconsider its decision to allow the use of banned bee toxins now that it is clear that there is no ‘emergency’ and indeed that bees have helped farmers bring in a bumper crop.
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