Proposed EU legislation, which could ban the use of 80% of the pesticides used in Britain, could leave the country’s crops vulnerable to attack from pests and result in higher prices in the shops, according to scientists at East Malling Research.

The horticultural scientists at East Malling Research (EMR), one of the world’s leading horticultural research establishments, believe that enforcing the legislation, before alternative pest protection processes have been developed will further undermine the competitiveness of the industry.

The inability to use some pesticides, herbicides and fungicides throughout Britain’s nurseries, orchards and fields will reduce yields and create a greater dependence on food imports from countries with less stringent environmental controls. Reliance on overseas produce will also increase the UK’s carbon footprint by failing to cut the level of food miles.

Scientists at EMR recognised that the list of pesticides approved for use has been shortening for a number of years and have sought to develop new spraying regimes and horticultural techniques.

Colin Gutteridge, Chief Executive of EMR, said: “The scale of these proposals could remove many of the pesticides which have been the backbone of horticultural and agricultural production for decades.

“The problem is that it can take many years to develop new disease-resistant plant varieties or techniques for reducing pests and the new EU regulations are coming in now.

“While we have made great strides in developing pesticide-free regimes they are still under development and many important crops may not be adequately protected once the usual pesticides are taken away.”

Due to reduced yields the new legislation is also expected to impact on higher prices for consumers. In a recent survey, ADAS, the independent rural development consultancy, calculated that if the pesticides were removed wheat production would fall by 26%, potato yields by 22% and brassica vegetables by 25% in the UK.