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Soft Fruit Day Speaker, Dr William Kirk
Dr William Kirk, Senior Lecturer in Ecology and Entomology, was an invited speaker at a Soft Fruit Day organised by the East Malling Research Association and the Horticultural Development Company at East Malling in Kent.
The soft fruit sector encompasses strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, blackcurrants, rhubarb and other similar species.
The event was attended by about a hundred growers, representatives from agrochemical and agronomy companies and technical directors from marketing groups.
An aim of the day was to report exciting new developments in the industry, particularly new approaches to pest management that reduce pesticide residues. Dr Kirk spoke about the results of Keele research on the use of semiochemicals to help control thrips on strawberry crops.
He is a named inventor on a Keele University patent for the use of pheromones to control thrips and a licensed commercial product resulting from the patent is available to growers.
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