Arable Farming Systems Research has focused on cereals.
MASTER is the first Europe-wide co-ordinated R&D project 
to focus on IPM Strategies for the winter oilseed rape crop, a 
major break crop within the cereals rotation.

The management of pests on the European oilseed rape crop still 
relies heavily on chemical pesticides, most often applied routinely 
and prophylactically, often without regard to pest incidence, and at 
best, according to threshold values of the pest population.  This leads
to over-use of chemical pesticides which reduces the economics
competitiveness of the crop and threatens biological diversity.

The pesticides also kill the natural agents of biological control, which
would otherwise be a natural resource of great potential benefit to the
farmer and consumer. Most of the natural enemies of the pests of 
oilseed rape attack their hosts during the larval stage, on the plants, on
the soil surface and in the soil.  By killing natural enemies, pesticide 
applications must be increased further to achieve pest control.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
recognises the intense use of pesticides on the crop as a key negative
indicator of sustainable production. MASTER seeks alternative methods
to replace plant protection products withdrawn or to be withdrawn from the
market.  For example, in the UK, gamma HCH was prohibited as a seed
treatment for cabbage stem flea beetle control in OSR in 1999.  Recent
reports indicate that pollen beetles have developed resistance to 
pyrethroids in France and in Scandinavia and are no longer being 
controlled by this group of pesticides.  The use of plant protection products
 in the EU is governed by EU Directive 91/414/EEC and is currently 
being updated and under review (http://europa.eu.int./comm/food/index_en.html) 

MASTER will develop IPM for winter oilseed rape to improve the efficiency,
profitability and environmental acceptability of production and, thereby, to
contribute towards sustainable production of the crop.