A £1M project, involving Durham University, to develop a pesticide which is harmless to bees has won more than £650,000 funding from the government.

The environmentally friendly pesticide uses naturally occurring peptides, found in spider venom, to produce an effective treatment which can be produced commercially.

Venom peptides, known to be harmless to mammals, are fused to a "carrier" protein that can then be applied to crops on a large scale. When treated crops are eaten by pests, such as slugs or beetles, the ‘carrier’ protein transports the spider toxin from the pests gut and into the nervous system; eradicating the threat without harming other species.

The initial programme will develop formulations targeting slugs and beetle pests of wheat and oil seed rape.

The project is led by Arch UK Biocides and is in collaboration with Durham University, the Food and Research Agency (FERA) at Sandhutton, near York, and I2LRESEARCH. The funding has been awarded through the second round of the £70 million Agri-Tech Catalyst which was announced as part of the UK Industrial Strategy for Agricultural Technologies in July 2013.

Greg Clark, Universities, Science, and Cities Minister, said: "As much as a third of the food we consume is pollinated by bees and therefore addressing the threats they face is a very real challenge for society.

"I am pleased that the Agri-Tech catalyst is supporting innovative projects that can effect real change for the better. It is groundbreaking projects like these which are establishing the UK as a world leader in agriculture technology, innovation and sustainability."

Lord de Mauley, environment minister, said: "The development of a new bee-friendly pesticide is a great example of using science to protect our food production and our rural economy for the future."

Damian Testa, chief land use policy adviser with the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), said: "The creation of a bee-friendly pesticide shows what funding and investment in agricultural technology can achieve. Real benefits to farmers and real benefits to the environment. "

Other projects to receive funding included £1.1m towards a £2.2m project in Billingham which wants to cut food waste in tomato and pepper production by suspending ripening at optimum eating quality without using chemicals.

Dunbia in Wales received £470,000 towards an £890,000 project to develop a new lamb grading system based on imaging technology to more accurately assess meat, with the potential to drive lamb breeding strategies to meet consumer requirements.

In Glasgow a scheme to optimise the efficiency of beef farming by monitoring the feeding behaviour and growth of individual cows received £1m towards the £1.3m cost.