Threat to peas as major pest is found in the UK for the first time

Pea bruchid has been found in a UK-grown commercial pea crop for the first time, the Processors & Growers Research Organisation (PGRO) has confirmed.

PGRO said it has warned of the potential for the serious pest to establish in the UK for many years, and it has now been discovered in a single sample grown on a farm in Cambridgeshire.

Widely found across continental Europe, pea bruchid is a regular problem for growers in northern France. This spring’s unusually warm and dry conditions appear to have allowed the pest to complete its full life cycle in a UK crop for the first time, PGRO said.

Pea bruchid has a similar life cycle to the closely related bruchid that affects faba beans. The beetle lays eggs on young pea pods and larvae develop and mature within the grains. Small holes appear in the harvested crop when adult bruchids emerge.

The resulting damage significantly reduces crop value, particularly for peas grown for human consumption.

Roger Vickers, PGRO chief executive, said: “This is the first confirmed occurrence of pea bruchid in a UK commercial crop, and it is vital that the industry responds swiftly and collectively. If this pest were to become established here, the consequences for pea growers and the supply chain would be extremely costly.

“Our immediate priority is to understand the extent of the issue and to prevent pea bruchid from establishing a permanent presence in the UK.”

Call for vigilance and reporting

PGRO said it is establishing an incidence log to monitor the spread of pea bruchid. It urged growers and traders to inspect pea crops and produce carefully for signs of damage. Findings should be reported on the free PGRO Crop Monitor App, including images and crop location details.

Good-quality images are essential, PGRO stressed, as bruchid damage can be mistaken for that caused by pea moth.

The organisation is also convening a forum with the trade to agree a plan of action to prevent adult pea bruchids resuming their life cycle in spring 2026. A coordinated effort will be needed to stop egg-laying next year and to prevent the pest’s permanent establishment, it added.

Pre-drilling advice

Preventing spread via seed is critical, PGRO continued, and advised that all pea seed imported into the UK must be free of pea bruchid. If live insects are present, the seed lot should be fumigated, rejected, or destroyed.

Any incidence of live bruchids in seed lots must be reported. If the pest is detected in pea seed for seed production, APHA must be informed, and restrictions will apply to its movement.

While pesticide intervention should remain a last resort within an integrated pest management approach, PGRO said it is currently investigating available control options. Advisory support and awareness campaigns will follow in the coming months.

“A healthy crop starts with good-quality, clean seed,” added Vickers. “Grower understanding and active participation will be essential in ensuring we prevent pea bruchid from gaining a foothold in the UK.”