The 2015 Agronomists’ Conference was the first activity conducted by AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds under its ‘Risk, resilience, reward’ communication theme.

Taking place on 8 December, a key message, delivered by Gareth Hughes, Professor of Plant Disease Epidemiology SRUC, was that many decision-makers think about ‘regret’ more than ‘reward’.

This ‘regret’ culture was cited as one of the biggest potential barriers to the uptake of integrated pest management (IPM).

By focusing on reasons not to act (such as not to spray) rather than reasons to act, Prof Hughes said this could be a key driver in ‘the application of more sprays than necessary and the evolution of resistance’.

Read the full press release