Pesticide usage in Scotland: Soft Fruit Crops 2024

Key Points

• Overall, the area of estimated pesticide application to soft fruit crops in 2024 was slightly higher than that recorded in the previous surveys in 2022 and 2020. There was a moderate increase in the weight of pesticides applied, driven predominately by increased use of biopesticides.
• The increase in overall pesticide use since 2022 may have been influenced by more favourable climatic conditions for weeds and pathogens in 2024, increasing the need for pesticide application. Spring 2024 was warmer, and winter, spring and summer 2024 were wetter than 2022 in the East of Scotland, where the majority of soft fruit crops are grown. This may have increased weed and disease pressure on crops in 2024 compared with 2022, which was considered a low pest pressure year.
• In 2024, the census area of soft fruit crops grown in Scotland was approximately 2,000 hectares. This represents a 9% decrease in area from the previous survey in 2022 and a 10% decrease from 2020.
• The principal soft fruit crop grown in Scotland was strawberries accounting for 51% of the cropped area. Blackcurrants accounted for 19%, blueberries 12%, raspberries 10% and other soft fruit crops 8%.
• The area of pesticides applied to soft fruit crops per hectare of crop grown was 12% higher than that reported in the 2022 and 2020 surveys.
• The weight of pesticides applied to soft fruit crops per hectare of crop grown was 83% higher in 2024 than in 2022 and 60% higher compared to 2020.
• When area grown is taken into account, the application of insecticides/ acaricides decreased 9% compared to 2022. Biopesticides, biological control agents and physical control all increased compared to 2022 (61%, 20% and 18% respectively) as these play an increasingly important part in growers Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programmes. The use of molluscicides and herbicides also increased (28% and 5% respectively).
• The estimated total area of soft fruit crops treated with a pesticide formulation in 2024 was ca. 38,300 ha (± 10% Relative Standard Error, RSE) with a combined weight of ca. 26 tonnes (± 15% RSE).
• Overall, pesticides were applied to 90% of the soft fruit crop area, very similar to the 92% treated area in 2022. Fungicides were applied to 87% of the crop area, insecticides/acaricides to 70%, biologicals to 54% and herbicides to 27% of the treated crops area.
• In terms of area treated, the most used foliar fungicide active substances were boscalid and pyraclostrobin. Pendimethalin and spirotetramat were the most used herbicide and insecticide active substances respectively. Neoseiulus cucumeris and Bacillus pumilus strain QST 2808 were the most used biological control agent and biopesticide.
• The biological control agent Feltiella acarisuga, biopesticides Akanthomyces muscarius, COS-OGA, Metarhizium anisopliae, the herbicide diflufenican, insecticides flonicamid and sulfoxaflor and the physical control agent maltodextrin were recorded for the first time on soft fruit crops in 2024.