A new research project backed by Defra's ADOPT fund will investigate the growing threat posed by viruses in UK vining pea crops, with the aim of giving growers clearer evidence on when and how control measures are justified.

Virus infection is becoming an increasingly costly and unpredictable challenge for the sector, with farmgate losses estimated to reach as much as £65 million each year.

Turnip Yellows Virus – one of the key threats to peas – is just one known to reduce yields significantly, with some studies suggesting losses of up to 40%. However, many of these figures are based on modelling rather than direct evidence from commercial crops.

At the same time, shifting weather patterns are increasing the risk of infection. Earlier aphid migration, linked to climate change, is exposing crops to virus pressure sooner in the season, particularly where peas are drilled later in the spring.

The new ADOPT-funded project will bring together the Processors and Growers Research Organisation (PGRO) and growers from the Green Pea Company network to generate clearer, field-based answers.

Researchers will begin by using high-throughput sequencing to identify the full range of viruses present in vining pea crops. This approach will allow them to detect not only well-known viruses but also those that may be present without causing obvious symptoms in the field.

Erin Matlock, PGRO Research Agronomist, said: "Alongside this diagnostic work, a series of farm-scale tramline trials will be established to test different aphicide programmes and, crucially, the timing of applications across crops drilled on different dates.

"By comparing treated and untreated tramlines, the trials will provide practical evidence on when intervention is justified and when it may not be necessary. The results are expected to support more precise integrated pest management decisions and help growers target control measures more effectively."

The virus project forms part of a wider programme of farmer-led research supported through ADOPT funding. By enabling growers to test ideas directly on their own farms, the scheme is helping to generate robust, practical evidence that can be quickly applied across the industry.

ADOPT funding is designed to help farmers trial new ideas, practices and
technologies on their own farms while reducing the risks associated with innovation.

ADOPT is part of Defra's Farming Innovation Programme, delivered in partnership with Innovate UK.