Introduction

The production of herbs under protection in the UK has developed into a high value industry and remains a growth area. Despite the overall value of the industry, individual herb species continue to be regarded as minority crops. Recognition by Defra and HDC of crop protection difficulties faced by the protected herb industry resulted in funding for an ADAS-led project to provide new integrated solutions for pest and disease control in protected herbs. The project focused on the major species of culinary herbs as well as protected propagation of herbs for other uses. Specific objectives were as follows:

1. To collate and evaluate currently-available information on potential integrated management solutions for priority pest and disease problems on protected herbs (current at end of July 2007; pesticide information updated March 2009).
2. To evaluate new or untested integrated control strategies for selected pest and disease problems on protected herbs.
3. To formulate best practice guidelines for integrated pest and disease control on protected herbs and deliver these to the protected herb industry.

This electronic guide is the main output from the project and aims to provide growers with practical guidelines for integrated management of pests and diseases on protected herbs.  The guide is aimed principally at growers of protected herbs and their technical staff.  However, it is anticipated that the information will also be of value to others in the herb industry such as growers of outdoor herbs, crop protection consultants and members of the food technology, audit and consumer groups. It has been written by Kim Green and Jude Bennison of ADAS.