An emergency authorisation for the use of neonicotinoid seed treatment Cruiser SB on this year's sugar beet crop will now not be used.
The emergency authorisation was subject to a threshold for the level of crop damage predicted from virus yellows infection, which is carried by aphids.
New modelling carried out by Rothamsted Research has confirmed that the virus yellows prediction for the 2021 sugar beet crop remains very low.
It says the cold weather has had a significant impact on overwintering aphid populations, both reducing their numbers and delaying the date of their migration into the 2021 crop.
The 1 March forecast by Rothamsted predicts that 8.37% of the national sugar beet area will be affected by virus yellows by the end of August 2021.
The forecast also predicts that the date of first aphids arriving in crops will be from the 18 May, much later than when aphids were first recorded in crops in 2020 which was in late March.
The British Beet Research Organisation (BBRO) said the forecast was 'very welcome news' for this year's crops.
"Clearly, the cold weather has had a significant impact on overwintering aphid populations, both reducing their numbers as well as the date of their migration into the 2021 crop.
"This is a very similar national forecast to that in 2018: aphids were first recorded in crops in late May 2018."
Neonics are banned in the European Union and the UK for use on all outdoor crops, because of the high risk to bees and other pollinators.
