Pesticide usage in Scotland: Arable Crops and Potato Stores 2024

Arable Crops 2024

Key Points

• Overall, estimated pesticide application to arable crops in 2024 was broadly similar to that recorded in the previous surveys in 2022 and 2020.
• However, pesticide use patterns in 2024 were influenced by several complex factors such as crop composition and weather conditions. Spring 2024 was warmer, and winter, spring and summer 2024 were wetter than 2022, providing more favourable climatic conditions for pests, weeds and diseases, increasing the need for pesticide applications. However, the wet weather in autumn 2023 resulted in a decrease in the area of winter sown crops and an increase in spring sown crops which generally receive fewer pesticide treatments. The wet weather in 2024 also limited opportunities to spray which influenced the timing and composition of spray applications and increased the need for the use of desiccants prior to harvest.
• In 2024, the census area of arable crops grown in Scotland was approximately 502,400 hectares. This represents an increase of 3% in area from 2022 and a 1% increase from 2020.
• Cereals accounted for 86% of the total arable area (spring barley 51%, wheat 20%, winter barley 9%, spring oats 4%, winter oats 2% and winter rye 1%). Oilseeds accounted for 7% of the total arable area, potatoes 6% and legumes less than 1%.
• The area of pesticides applied to arable crops per hectare of crop grown was 4% higher than that reported in the 2022 survey and 3% higher than the 2020 survey.
• The weight of pesticides applied to arable crops per hectare of crop grown was 4% higher in 2024 than in 2022 and 7% lower compared to 2020.
• When area grown is taken into account, the application of herbicides/ desiccants, insecticides/nematicides, seed treatments, molluscicides and fungicides all increased in 2024 (13%, 12%, 4%, 1% and < 0.5% respectively). Sulphur and growth regulator applications decreased by 24% and 7% respectively.
• The estimated total area of arable crops treated with a pesticide formulation was ca. 5,003,000 ha (± 3% Relative Standard Error, RSE) with a combined weight of ca. 1,300 tonnes (± 4% RSE).
• Overall, pesticides were applied to 98% of the arable crop area, this is very similar to the 97% treated area in 2022. Herbicides/desiccants were applied to 97% of the crop area, fungicides to 97%, growth regulators to 54%, insecticides/ nematicides to 19%, molluscicides to 8% and 86% of seed was treated.
• In terms of area treated, the most used foliar fungicide active substance was prothioconazole. Fluroxypyr and lambda-cyhalothrin were the most used herbicide and insecticide active substances respectively.
• Five active substances were recorded for the first time in the 2024 arable survey. These included the fungicides potassium phosphonate, pydiflumetofen, isoflucypram and valifenalate and the herbicide cinmethylin.