Apple and pear research focus at technical day

Pears

British Apples and Pears Ltd and Niab are co-hosting a technical day in Kent on Tuesday 10th February.

Following the success of the 2025 event, the 2026 BAPL/Niab Apple and Pear Day Technical Day will take the form of a hybrid event with the opportunity for delegates to attend either in person in The Mumford Building at Niab’s East Malling site or online through live streaming.

The event offers BAPL and Niab the opportunity to reveal some of the latest findings and action points arising from their most recent fruit research programmes ensuring that BAPL members are fully briefed on their own funded research and able to implement appropriate changes within their businesses.

Included in the agenda is an up-date from Horticulture Crop Protection Ltd on how they continue to support the sector by securing new authorisations for plant protection products, up-dates from Niab on modern approaches to managing apple canker and spring pests of apple and pear, and how the POME project is developing novel techniques in precision management of orchards. Practical experiences of IPM strategies for canker control will be shared by Hutchinsons, while Agrii will provide their latest knowledge of the development of scab resistance to authorised fungicides.

Commenting on the event, British Apple and Pear Ltd research manager Rachel McGauley said, “We’re really looking forward to bringing our members and the apple and pear industry together to share the latest research, innovations, and practical outcomes from the projects we’ve been working on. This technical day is all about showing the progress being made and highlighting ideas and tools that growers can start using in their own orchards. We’re confident the programme offers an enjoyable mix of expert talks and practical insights that will be genuinely useful for everyone across the apple and pear sector.”

Niab Knowledge Exchange Manager Scott Raffle, commented, “This combined event was particularly well supported last February allowing Niab scientists and industry experts to brief growers and industry representatives of the latest research results whilst discussing the findings and the needs of the sector. We are looking forward to welcoming delegates both in-person and on-line again to share new information that has come to light in the past year.”

The BAPL/Niab Technical Day takes place on Tuesday 10th February, from 9.45am to 4pm. To register or find out more

Register or find out more