Pesticide usage in Scotland: Grassland and Fodder Crops 2025

Key Points

• The estimated area of grassland, including rough grazing, grown in Scotland in 2025 was approximately 4,000,000 hectares a 9% decrease compared to the area grown in the previous survey in 2021. Rough grazing accounted for 67% of the total area grown, grass over five years 29%, and grass under five years 4%.
• The proportion of grassland and rough grazing treated with a pesticide was very low, with only 4% of grassland and less than 0.5% of rough grazing treated with a pesticide.
• The area of pesticides applied to grassland and rough grazing per hectare grown was 2% lower than in 2021 and 11% lower than in 2017.
• The weight of pesticides applied to grassland including rough grazing per hectare grown was 6% lower than that reported in 2021 and 26% lower compared to 2017.
• For grassland including rough grazing, herbicides were applied to 97% of the crop area and fungicides to 3%. Molluscicides and growth regulator applications accounted for less than 0.5% of area and weight applied.
• When area grown is taken into account, the application of herbicides to grassland and rough grazing was similar to 2021. The application of fungicides (applied to undersown crops only) decreased by 36% from 2021 to 2025.
• The estimated total area of grassland treated with a pesticide formulation was ca. 71,000 ha (± 10% Relative Standard Error, RSE) with a combined weight of ca. 56 tonnes (± 12% RSE).
• The estimated total area of rough grazing treated with a pesticide formulation was ca. 800 ha (± 33% Relative Standard Error, RSE) with a combined weight of ca. 900 kg (± 39% RSE).
• The estimated fodder crop area was approximately 17,700 hectares, similar to the previous survey in 2021. Arable silage accounted for 29% of the total fodder area, turnips & swedes 18%, maize 15%, kale and cabbage 11%, fodder rape 11%, fodder beet 6%, other fodder 6% and stubble turnips 4%.
• Overall, pesticides were applied to 46% of the fodder crop area.
• The area of pesticides applied to fodder crops per hectare grown had a 9% decrease compared to 2021 and a 10% decrease from 2017.
• The weight of pesticides applied to fodder crops per hectare of crop grown had a 12% increase in 2025 compared to 2021 and a 35% increase from 2017.
• For fodder crops, herbicides were applied to 44% of the crop area, fungicides to 2%, insecticides to 9%, and 16% of seed was treated. Molluscicides and growth regulator were applied to 1% of the fodder area.
• When area grown is taken into account, the application of herbicides increased by 8%. Fungicides, insecticides and seed treatments, applied to fodder crops all decreased in 2025 compared to 2021 (60%, 33% and 16% respectively).
• The estimated total area of fodder crops treated with a pesticide formulation was ca. 24,000 ha (± 18% Relative Standard Error, RSE) with a combined weight of ca. 12 tonnes (± 12% RSE).
• In terms of area treated on all grassland and fodder crops, the most used herbicide was fluroxypyr, the foliar fungicide prothioconazole was the most used fungicide and the most used insecticide was lambda-cyhalothrin.
• Six active substances were recorded for the first time in the 2025 grassland and fodder survey. These included the herbicides, florpyrauxifen-benzyl, fluroxypyr-meptyl, pyridate and quizalofop-P-tefuryl, the fungicide difenoconazole and the growth regulator 2-chloroethylphosphonic acid.
• Data on Integrated Pest Management (IPM) activities collected from holdings growing fodder crops, showed that they used a range of methods for risk management, pest monitoring and pest control. This dataset is the third in this series of surveys of IPM measures on grassland and fodder crops, allowing the adoption of IPM techniques to be monitored. There was very strong statistical evidence of an increase in the proportion of growers in 2025 reporting they completed an IPM plan compared to the 2021 and 2017 surveys.