The Straits Committee’s sevent call for projects closed in June 2024, and, on 5th July in Bruges, the members of the Executive Committee agreed to support the following projects:
Project name: Across the Straits: A Unified Approach to Tackle Grassweed Herbicide Resistance ("Grassweeds")
Project partners: ADAS (Kent); INAGRO (West-Vlaanderen); AIKC Rusthoeve (Zeeland) Universiteit Gent, Hogeschool Gent (Oost-Vlaanderen); Chambre d’agriculture du Nord-Pas de Calais (Pas-de-Calais)
Duration: September 2024 - March 2026
Description: This project will help arable farmers avoid excessive and ineffective use of herbicides to control grassweeds, particularly Back-grass (Alopecurus myosuroides), a problem in Kent and the cereal-growing coastal areas of Belgium, France, & the Netherlands.
Herbicide resistance, the inherited ability of a weed to survive a rate of herbicide that would normally kill it, impacts crop yields, increases costs for farmers, and limits crop rotation options. Resistance testing is a key part of Integrated Weed Management to reduce reliance on chemical herbicides and prevent further resistance.
Taking advantage of testing capabilities available at ADAS and University of Ghent, this project will pool resources to survey growers, carry out resistance testing, and produce guidelines for growers to optimise non-chemical control and manage resistance effectively. Outcomes expected are better knowledge and management of herbicide resistance, wider promotion and use of non-chemical weed control, the reduced use or avoidance of the use of chemical products, and the creation of a vibrant cross border cluster for future work on sustainable weed management.
Project name: Landscape park development through cross-border learning
Project partners: Kent Downs National Landscape (Kent, UK) ; Parc naturel régional des Caps et Marais d’Opale (Pas-de-Calais, FR) ; EGTC Linieland van Waas en Hulst / Grenspark Groot Saeftinghe (Oost-Vlaanderen / Zeeland) ; Provincie West-Vlaanderen / Landschapspark Bulskampveld (West-Vlaanderen)
Areas involved: Pas-de-Calais (Fr); Kent (UK) ; West-Vlaanderen ; Oost-Vlaanderen (BE) ; Zeeland (NL)
Project duration: January 2025 – December 2026
Description : This project will see four natural parks and protected landscapes from Belgium, France, the Netherlands, and the UK implement a learning programme to strengthen how they improve the environmental and landscape quality for all users (human and non-human)while considering competing interests.
The two-year programme of field trips and knowledge exchange workshops will cover:
- General park management practices, management structures, processes, administrative operation, financing, challenges and solutions.
- Shared Mutual themes such as: green finance market, working together with farmers, climate and water resilience, biodiversity recovery, and heritage.
The exchanges will inform and inspire, build knowledge on best practices, and strengthen the alliance between the partners for further cooperation.
The Straits Committee wishes the partners every success with their project.
Do you have an idea for a project that can help implement the priorities of the Straits Committee’s vision and strategy? If so, please get in touch with your member authority. Contact details can be found on our contact us page.