ECM presented with 2 international awards at the House of Lords for pioneering agronomy to protect crops from barley yellow dwarf virus whilst protecting beneficial insects.

ECM have won the GOLD Environment Award in the international campaign to find the greenest individuals, companies, councils and communities. They competed against more than 1000 other nominations in the Green Apple Awards for Environmental Best Practice with their project “A case study in Integrated Pest Management. Controlling Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (BYDV) in Winter Cereals.”.

They were presented with their trophy and certificate at a glittering presentation ceremony hosted by Phil Williams at the House of Lords, Westminster Palace, London on November 17th, 2025.

The judges commented:

“In the sector Farming & Agriculture and category Habitat & Diversity”

“ECM helps farmers curb BYDV using a holistic strategy that safeguards beneficial predators. Guided by university research, a carefully chosen pyrethroid minimises harm to spiders that control aphids, while integrated measures disrupt the pest across its life cycle. Results protect yields and keep food prices stable, delivering measurable returns for growers and environmental gains for farmland ecosystems.”

As a result of this Green Apple Award success, they have been invited to have their winning paper published in The Green Book, the leading international work of reference on environmental best practice, so that others around the world can follow their example and learn from their achievement. They could also progress to represent their country in the Green World Awards 2026 and have 100 trees planted in their name as part of the United Nations Billion Trees initiative.

Thanks to everybody who joined us at The Cheshire Ploughing Match this year – a fantastic day and it was great to see so many people there.

ECM competed against more than 500 other nominations in the International Green Apple Awards, and they will be presented with their trophy and certificate at a glittering presentation ceremony in the Houses of Parliament, London, on November 20.

`Fletcher’s Family Farm’ is set on the farm of former `Emmerdale’ and `Strictly star’, actor and first-time farmer Kelvin Fletcher, and his family in the Peak District, as they open up their world to celebrate and explore their wonderful farming life. With more animals, more laughs, more mistakes and even more children, the Fletchers’ adventure has only just begun.