Dove Associates and HTA nursery consultant John Adlam believes the ban is bad for gardening: "Derris has been an effective product in the garden market for many years. It was considered to be one of the valuable products available to the retail gardener," said Adlam.

Buckingham Nurseries & Garden Centre plant manager Chris Day added that the ban would hit both gardeners and retailers: "This is a great loss. We sell over 130 units of Doff Derris Dust a year and it is still an integral part of the gardener's ammunition as a contact insecticide for sap-sucking pests, particularly in the greenhouse."

The Crop Protection Association said the revocation of the active ingredient rotenone, which is in three professional products and five amateur products, would affect gardeners and the industry.

Rotenone is banned from advertising, sale or supply from 10 October this year and from storage and use from 10 October 2009.The product kills caterpillars, flea beetle, raspberry beetles, sawfly and also gives partial control of aphids.

Under EU directives, pesticides licences must be re-registered. Manufacturers of Derris are not thought to sell enough of the product to pay the hefty costs involved.

Rotenone has been granted "essential use" in the UK until 31 October 2011 for apples, pears, peaches, cherries, ornamentals and potatoes only. Consumer products are: Bayer Bio Liquid Derris Plus, Vitax Derris Dust, Doff Derris Dust, Murphy Derris Dust and Nature's Answer Derris Dust.

- See www.pesticides.gov.uk/approvals.asp?id=2432

- For more retail news, see www.HorticultureWeek.co.uk.