Records for pesticide use on arable crops in Scotland show a 4% reduction in 2018, according to a National Statistics publication. There was also a fall in rodenticides used to control rodents on arable farms.

Pesticide use on soft fruit crops was higher in 2018 than reported in 2016. However, the low pesticide application rates reported in 2016 were atypical in this data series and pesticide application in 2018 was lower than levels reported in 2014 and 2012.

The biannual report shows that 430,940ha were treated with a pesticide in 2018, representing 98% of arable crops. The treated area received 3.9 pesticide sprays on average.

Winter barley

Winter barley received 4.2 pesticide sprays on average. These sprays included 2.5 fungicide applications and 2.2 herbicide/desiccant applications (applied to 100 % and 98 % of the crop area respectively), 1.9 applications of growth regulators (applied to 96 %) and one application of insecticide (applied to 22 %).

Fungicide use was most often used to target rynchosporium, followed by mildew, ramularia, net blotch and rust. Ear diseases, eyespot and fusarium all also reported in small amounts.

Herbicide/desiccants were used for general weed control, with the main reported pest plants being annual meadow grass, wild oats, annual grass weeds, cleavers, docks and chickweed.

Beyond these issues, farmers reported using herbicides to tackle volunteer rape, couch, mayweed, groundsel, crop destruction volunteer cereals, charlock and sterile brome.

Where specified, all insecticide use was for aphids. The most common varieties encountered were KWS Tower (22 %) followed by Pearl (12 %), with an average reported yield of 7.7 t/ha.

Spring barley

The spring barley crop received 2.5 pesticide applications on average. These included 1.8 fungicide applications and 1.7 herbicide/desiccant applications (applied to 92% and 96% of the crop area respectively) and 1.1 applications of growth regulators (applied to 22%).

The most common reason for fungicide use was rhynchosporium, followed by ramularia, mildew and net blotch. Rust and leaf spot were also reported.

The biggest pests targeted with insecticide were aphids, followed by cereal leaf beetle, flea beetle, then general pests

For herbicide/desiccant, most farmers said annual broadleaved weeds were the target followed by wild oats, annual meadow grass and chickweed. Annual grass weeds, fumitory and couch were also listed.

The biggest pests targeted with insecticide were aphids, followed by cereal leaf beetle, flea beetle, then general pests and with a small amount of farmers reporting leaf miners.

Concerto was still the most common variety, with an national average yield of 6.0t/ha.

Winter wheat

The winter wheat crop received 5.1 pesticide applications on average. These included 3.5 fungicide applications and 2.1 herbicide/desiccant applications, 1.9 applications of growth regulators were applied to the vast marjority of crops. Molluscicides and insecticides received 1.3 and 1.2 applications to around 20% of the crops.

Fungicides were most often used to tackle septoria followed by mildew, rust, and ear disease, fusarium and eyespot also reasons for a small number of farmers.

Other issues in winter wheat were wild oats with cleavers, annual grass weeds, sterile brome, brome, volunteer rape, volunteer cereals and fumitory

The most popular reason supplied for herbicide/desiccant use was for general weed control, with annual broadleaved weeds then annual meadow grass the biggest issues. After this, desiccation/harvest aid was the most popular reason for these sprays. Other issues in winter wheat were wild oats with cleavers, annual grass weeds, sterile brome, brome, volunteer rape, volunteer cereals and fumitory. Again insecticide use was mainly to target aphids.

Zulu was the most common variety, accounting for 16% of the sample area, followed by KWS Leeds at 13%. The average reported yield was 8.7 t/ha.

Oilseed rape

The oilseed rape crop received on average 5.9 pesticide applications. These included 2.8 fungicide applications and 2.6 herbicide/desiccant applications (applied to 98% and 99% of the crop area respectively), one application of growth regulators (applied to 16 % of crops ) 1.2 molluscicide applications (applied to 59%) and 1.6 insecticides applications to 65% of the crop area.

The biggest reason for fungicides use was for light leaf spot, followed by sclerotinia, then for general disease control/precaution.

Herbicides/desiccants were used mainly for general weed control and desiccation/harvest aid

Small numbers of farmers were targeting phoma leaf spot and alternaria.

Herbicides/desiccants were used mainly for general weed control and desiccation/harvest aid. This was followed by annual broadleaved weeds, volunteer cereals, annual meadow grass and annual grass weeds.

Other farmers were affected by brome, mayweed and sterile brome. Chickweed, thistles, cleavers, wild oats, black grass, couch and speedwell were also issues. Insecticides were used to target the winter stem weevil, the seed weevil and the pollen beetle, general weevils and the cabbage stem flea beetle, aphids and for flea beetle.

Anastasia was the most common variety, followed by Mentor.