WeevilWatch: Smart Pest Monitoring in Ornamental Crops

Vine weevil (Otiorhynchus sulcatus) is still considered the number one pest of container-grown nursery stock crops, particularly on nurseries where long production cycles of susceptible crops occur or where unsold stock is carried over from year to year. Chemical control measures for the pest are now very limited, and control programmes are often based on biological control options. As a result, an understanding of pest populations within crops is vital to permit timely, targeted control measures. However, manual scouting for a cryptic pest which remains hidden within crops, can be time consuming and there is a need for real-time support from a robust monitoring system. This ADOPT funded project addresses this production challenge to enable better informed control decisions.

Harry Downes, Quality Assistant Manager at Wyevale Nurseries, said: “Due to a limited number of control options, vine weevil is a major pest on our container nursery site, potentially causing significant damage to stock, which can have a major financial impact. This ADOPT-funded project and the updated smart monitoring device will hopefully give us a better understanding of the population levels and activity of adult weevils, allowing us to make better informed decisions to protect our crops. The devices do not interfere with any of the day-to-day cultural activities on the nursery and they provide an early warning of adult vine weevil activity”.

Events:

Breinton Village Hall, Hereford - 8 October 2026 (am)

Wyevale Nurseries, Hereford - 8 October 2026 (pm)

Precision Irrigation with Wireless Sensors: Driving Peat-Free Production in Ornamental Horticulture

The UK ornamentals sector is undergoing a transition from peat-based to peat-free growing media in response to environmental targets and policy drivers. This shift presents a critical challenge in that peat-free substrates, typically blends of wood fibre, bark, coir, and green compost, display variable physical and chemical properties, leading to varied levels of water retention and nutrient availability. This can make effective irrigation and nutrition management more complex. The resulting consequences of this include increased risks of over- or underirrigation, nutrient leaching, inconsistent crop quality, wasted resources, and higher costs. This ADOPT-funded project aims to explore the use of wireless sensors to provide real-time quantitative information about the moisture and nutrient content in commercial-grown crops to better inform cultural decisions.

Steve Carter, General Manager of Fleurie Nursery, said: “The accurate application of irrigation water on the nursery is one of, if not the most important of tasks, and requires the input of a well-trained, experienced operative to get it right. With the introduction of new growing media as we transition to peat-free crop production this task has become even more essential, and growers are having to re-learn how to irrigate using the new substrates. The use of technology to control irrigation or improve the decision-making process has long been possible in monocrop situations. However, in diverse cropping programmes it is less easy to achieve practically and cost effectively. With the development of improved data collection and reporting systems, together with lower cost sensors, the opportunity to control irrigation is becoming achievable within diverse growing situations. This project is not only testing how the sensors and data collation technology can assist growers but also the practicalities of how they can be deployed effectively in a modern, mixed cropping ornamental nursery environment”.

Events:

Ampfield House Stable Block, Ampfield - 22 October 2026 (am)

Hillier Nurseries*, Ampfield - 22 October 2026 (pm)

*Due to on-site developments, the exact nursery location for the afternoon visit may be amended

You can find more details and how to join by visiting: https://hta.org.uk/develop-your-business/grower-support-campaign/research-and-development