My long term research goals:

Policy led environmental research with practical outcomes for global agriculture:

I develop and use a multi-disciplinary, ecosystems approach to optimise key ecological services (Integrated Pest Management/IPM, biocontrol) for Scottish, UK and international crop protection.

By understanding the role of biodiversity in agro-ecosystems, key functional groups of predators and parasitoids are being enhanced using novel biocontrol techniques, to reduce the need for pesticides under policy  91/414 EEC.

Current research contracts and grants

I coordinate SCRI IPM research for two new EU and one new Defra Hortlink funded projects, starting 2010-11. Total grant award value is > £10 million.

• Defra Hortlink: Developing Integrated Pest and Disease Management (IPDM) for Protected Raspberries. Role: SCRI entomology leader. Total value £1.3 million.
• Bioforsk, Norwegian Government: Developing sustainable IPDM for vegetable crucifers.  Role: SCRI chemical ecology leader. Total value £1.7 million.
• AHDB/HDC: SAC+SCRI PhD. Developing novel control stratgies for cabbage root fly. Role: Consultant SCRI. Total value £113,000.
• IP development and technology transfer: One of 1st SCRI patent holders (natural product pesticides from wild legumes; 13 regional and worldwide patents with BTG, 1988-94).
• Co-developer of 1st SCRI comercial IPM technology for raspberry growers (raspberry beetle trap; 1st SCRI commercial IPM product, launched 2009 for growers and 2010 for gardeners).

Honorary Positions

• Fellow of Royal Entomological Society, London
• Fellow of Linnean Society, London
• Lecturer, Dundee University
• Science Ambassador, Scotland
• Co-Convenor, International Organisation for Biological Control
• Committee Member, LEAF Scotland Advisory Group

Current research areas

Agroecology systems studies (fundamental to applied).

Sustainable use of functional biodiversity (ecological services - focus topic biocontrol as part of Integrated Pest Management) to meet challenges of climate change, environmental impacts of new crop protection strategies (reducing pesticide usage, developing more durable pest-resistant crops, semiochemicals, enhanced biocontrol of pests) and changing food security issues.

My research delivers practical outcomes and policy aides for sustainable agriculture which is faced with challenges of climate change, food security and pesticide reductions.

Examples include:

a) Novel IPM for soft fruit and field vegetables Integrated Pest Management) tools for minimising pesticide applications and promoting functional biodiversity in agro-ecosystems  (biocontrol agents, pollinators, soil health). I now lead and coordinate a major EU funding bid for SCRI  (12 million euros) as part of an international consortium to develop new IPM strategies for major crops in Europe. This is the largest single EU agriculture project, because IPM is now central to the EU's crop protection policies under 91/414/EEC.

b) GM environmental risk:benefit asessment methods for EU and developing countries. A multi-disciplinary approach centred around chemical ecology has been developed at SCRI, involving international collaborations in UK, Norway, France, Switzerland, Brazil, Kenya and Vietnam.

The ecological methods underpinning this GM research over more than 10 years have more recently been generalised to study multi-trophic interactions in food webs (raspberries grown in fields versus protected tunnels) and also to optimise IPM strategies for major crops including vegetable crucifers, soft fruit and cereals.

Approach and implementation:

Chemical ecology of insect-plant interactions leading to ecosystem services for sustainable agriculture (Scottish Government WP 1.3., 1.7).

My IPM expertise and experience  includes research on legumes, vegetable brassicas, maize (GM with Bt gene), potato, tomato and  soft fruit (blackcurrant, raspberry, strawberry).

• Crop protection systems based on IPDM: High value and health-promoting soft fruit (Scottish Government WP 1.3, Defra Hortlink); Potato (CPC germplasm evalauation for pest resistance; chemical ecology with SLU); Arable / biodiversity interactions (Scottish Government WP 1.7, LEAF).
• Multi-trophic interactions, focussing on  climate change and novel crop protection strategies: Plant metabolic responses to insect attack, linking above-below ground interactions, genetic resistance to pests  and biocontrol (Scottish Government WP 1.7, Bioforsk collaborations, 2007-2013). Model crops studied: Soft fruit, crucifers.
• Developing strategies for Integrated Pest Management (Scottish Government WP 1.3, Defra Hortlink, LEAF Scotland and UK, Bioforsk).
• Lead SCRI Hortlink research ‘Integrated Pest and Disease Management for High Quality Protected Raspberry Production’ (Defra).
• IOBC convenorships of International Working Groups:  (i) 'Breeding for Pest and disease Resistance' (IOBC wprs); (ii) 'GMO Environmental Risk Assessment' (IOBC Global).
• GM environmental risk:benefit and biosafety policy formulation: EU Legal Department, EU Plant Sciences Committee, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (GM crop case studies in Kenya, Brazil, and Vietnam - three CABI books and invited Royal Society of Chemistry  review; resulting in eight policy-related  refereed reviews and book chapters; see below).
• Member of Scottish Steering Committee, LEAF  (Linking Environment and Farming).
• Lecturer for Dundee University: BSc Hons (final year): 'Sustainable Pest Management'.
• PhD examiner for Dundee University, Durham University, Caridiff University, SLU Uppsala, Lincoln University, New Zealand.
• Science Ambassador and Techfest Scotland presenter: Schools (nursery-Advanced Higher, university, public understanding of science, agriculture policy, knowledge transfer.
• Technology transfer: Developing and promoting sustainable IPDM strategies for UK, EU and developing country farmers.

Research History

• Soft Fruit Integrated Pest and Disease Management (IPDM) – Plant Breeding for Pest Resistance; Use of semiochemicals in IPDM; Biocontrol agents; Sustainable Crop Protection with minal pesticides.
• Insect-plant ecology – Above-below ground interactions utilising molecular ecology, chemical ecology and insect behaviour (model cropping systems: raspberry, crucifers).
• Tri-trophic modelling for optimal deployment of pest-resistant GM crops (Defra).
• GM crop biosafety: Co- coordinator of Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation / ETH, Zurich / University of Minnesota 'GMO Guidelines Project' : Section leader: Non target Impacts Assessments in Kenya, Brazil, Vietnam.
• EU Consultative Expert on Bt and other pest-resistant GM crops.
• EU Scientific Evaluator (FP5,6,7).
• International collaborations with ETH Zurich; University of Minnesota; ICIPE, Kenya; EMBRAPA, Brazil; Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Vietnam; National Environmental Research Institute, Denmark; INRA, France; Bioforsk, Norway; Agroscope Switzerland.

Recent Publications

• Mitchell, C., Johnson, S.N., Gordon, S.C., Birch, A.N.E. and Hubbard, S.F. 2010.  Combining plant resistance and a natural enemy to control Amphorophora idaei. Biocontrol 55, 321-327.
• Birch, A.N.E. 2009. Review: Integrated Pest Management. Concepts, Tactics, Strategies and Case Studies. Experimental Agriculture 45(4), 267.
• Birch, A.N.E. 2009. Review: Crop Wild Relative Conservation and Use. Experimental Agriculture 45(2), 237.
• Van Huyn, N., Birch, A.N.E., Songa, J., Van Dinh, N. and The Lam, Nguyen. 2008. Insect Parasitoids. In: Environmental Risk Assessment of Genetically Modified Organisms: Challenges and Opportunities with Bt Cotton in Vietnam. Edited by Andow, D.A., Hilbeck, A. and Van Tuat, N. CAB International, Wallingford, p 212-235.
• Hilbeck, A., Arpaia, S., Birch, A.N.E. et al. Non-target and Biological diversity Risk Assessment. 2008  In: Environmental Risk Assessment of Genetically Modified Organisms: Challenges and Opportunities with Bt Cotton in Vietnam. Edited by Andow, D.A., Hilbeck, A. and Van Tuat, N. CAB International, Wallingford, p 115-137.
• Andow, D.A., Tuat, V., Hilbeck, A., Underwood, E., Birch, A.N.E. et al. 2008. Challenges and Opportunities with Bt Cotton in vietnam: Synthesis and Recommendations.  In: Environmental Risk Assessment of Genetically Modified Organisms: Challenges and Opportunities with Bt Cotton in Vietnam. Edited by Andow, D.A., Hilbeck, A. and Van Tuat, N. CAB International, Wallingford, p 330-345.
• Krogh, P.H., Griffiths, B.S., Demsar, D., Bohanec, M., Debeljak, M., Neumann-Andersen, M., Sausse, C., Birch, A.N.E., Caul, S., Holmstrup, M., Heckmann, L. and Cortet, J. 2007. Responses by earthworms to reduced tillage in herbicide tolerant maize and Bt maize cropping systems. Pedobiologia 51(3), 219-228.
• Birch, A.N.E., Griffiths, B.S. Caul, S., Thompson, J., Heckmann, L.H., Krogh, P.H., Jérôme Cortet, J. 2007. The role of laboratory, glasshouse and field scale experiments in understanding the interactions between genetically modified crops and soil ecosystems. Pedobiologia 51(3), 251-260.
• Cortet, J., Griffiths, B.S., Bohanec, M., Demsar, D., Andersen, M.N., Caul, S., Birch, A.N.E., Pernin, C., Tabone, E., De Vaufleury, A., Ke, X., Krogh, P.H. 2007. Evaluation of effects of transgenic Bt maize on microarthropods in a European multi-site experiment. Pedobiologia 51(3), 207-218.
• Griffiths, B.S., Caul, S., Thompson, J., Birch, A.N.E., Cortet, J., Andersen, M.N. and Krogh, P.H. 2007. Microbial and microfaunal community structure in cropping systems with genetically modified plants. Pedobiologia 51 (3), 195-206.
• Griffiths, B.S., Caul, S., Thompson, J., Birch, A.N.E., Scrimgeour, C.M., Cortet, J., Foggo, A., Hackett, C.A.and Krogh, P.H. 2006. Soil microbial and faunal community responses to Bt maize and insecticide in two soils. Journal of Environmental Quality 35, 734-741.
• Andow, D., Birch, A.N.E., Dusi, A.N., Fontes, E.M.G., Hilbeck, A., Lang, A., Lövei, G., Pires, S., Sujii, E., Underwood, E. and Wheatley, R.E. 2006. Non-target and biodiversity ecological risk assessment for GM crops. International Society for Biosafety Research. Ninth International Symposium on Biosafety of Genetically Modified Organisms, Jeju Island, Korea, 24-29 September 2006.
• Andow, D.A., Fontes, E.M.G., Hilbeck, A., Johnston, J., Capalbo, D.M.F., Nelson, K.C., Underwood, E., Fitt, G.P., Sujii, E.R., Arpaia, S., Birch, A.N.E., Pallini, A. and Wheatley, R.E. 2006. Supporting risk assessment of Bt cotton in Brazil: synthesis and recommendations. In: Hilbeck, A., Andow, D. and Fontes, E.M.G. (eds.). Environmental Risk Assessment of Genetically Modified Organisms Volume 2: Methodologies for assessing Bt cotton in Brazil. CABI I Publishing, Wallingford, UK, 346-361.
• Birch, A.N.E., Griffiths, B.S., Caul, S., Thompson, J., Heckmann, L. and Krogh, P.H. 2006. A review of the utility of multispecies testing of GM plants in mesocosm experiments . 10th International Conference on Agricultural Biotechnology: Facts, Analysis and Policies, Ravello, Italy, 29 June-2 July 2006.
• Caul, S., Griffiths, B.S., Birch, A.N.E., Thompson, J. and Krogh, P.H. 2006. Eco-toxicological testing of single species of nematode and protozoa in the laboratory. 10th International Conference on Agricultural Biotechnology: Facts, Analysis and Policies, Ravello, Italy, 29 June-2 July 2006.

Posters

(View all posters)

Attachment	Size
Breeding crops with built-in pest resistance	121.39 KB
The co-evolutionary battle between raspberries and virus-transmitting aphids
Breeding crops with built-in pest resistance	420.4 KB
Developing a sustainable IPM system for high value Rubus crops Developing a sustainable IPM system for high value Rubus crops (raspberry blackberry) for Europe	1.85 MB
Developing a "lure and kill" system for raspberry beetle Byturus tomentosus in Rubus production	84.56 KB
Controlling Raspberry Beetle without pesticides	149.23 KB
Making sure your prey eat well: parasitoids prefer aphids that feed on good host plants	644.62 KB
Are females attracted to wound volatiles to cane splits?	615 KB
Early stages in the development of a plant derived attractant for raspberry cane midge
Profiling of raspberry cane wound volatiles using a combination of SPME and GC-TOF-MS	3.7 MB
Sustainable IPM and pesticide reductions for Scottish soft fruit	1.41 MB
Sustainable IPM and pesticide reductions for Scottish soft fruit	1014.84 KB
Understanding sugar sensing in induced plant defences and stress tolerance	604.93 KB