Pesticide usage in Scotland: Outdoor Vegetable Crops 2025

Key points

• Overall, estimated pesticide application to outdoor vegetable crops in Scotland in 2025 was very similar to that recorded in 2023, but higher than 2021.
• In 2025, the census area of outdoor vegetable crops grown in Scotland was 22,673 hectares. This represents a 6% increase in area from the previous survey in 2023 and a 3% increase from 2021.
• The principle outdoor vegetable crops grown in Scotland were peas and beans accounting for 56% of the cropped area. Leaf brassicas accounted for 16%, carrots 16%, turnips and swedes 7% and other vegetable crops 6%.
• The area of pesticides applied to vegetable crops per hectare of crop grown was 7% higher than that reported in 2023 and 23% higher compared to 2021.
• The weight of pesticides applied to vegetable crops per hectare of crop grown in 2025 was very similar compared to 2023 and 18% higher compared to 2021.
• When area grown is taken into account, the application of molluscicides, seed treatments, herbicides and insecticides/nematicides all increased since 2023 (23%, 15%, 14% and 8% increases in area respectively). The area treated with fungicides decreased by 3% since 2023. Compared to 2021, molluscicide use in 2025 decreased 14%, while use of seed treatments, herbicides, insecticides/nematicides and fungicides all increased (92%, 32%, 44% and 3% respectively).
• The estimated total area of outdoor vegetable crops treated with a pesticide formulation was ca. 188,500 ha (± 6% Relative Standard Error, RSE) with a combined weight of ca. 64.9 tonnes (± 7% RSE).
• Overall, pesticides were applied to 93% of the vegetable crop area, very similar to the 90% treated area in 2023 and 89% in 2021. Herbicides were applied to 93% of the crop area, fungicides to 85%, insecticides/nematicides to 77%, molluscicides to 13%, biopesticides to less than 1% and 55% of seed was treated.
• In terms of area treated, the most used herbicide active substance was pendimethalin. Azoxystrobin and lambda-cyhalothrin were the most used foliar fungicide and insecticide active substances respectively. Fludioxonil was the principal seed treatment active substance used.
• The insecticide flupyradifurone and biopesticide aureobasidium pullulans were recorded for the first time on outdoor vegetable crops in this survey.