Insects-Aphids data: EIR release

FOI reference: FOI/17/02514
Date received: 30 October 2017
Date responded: 9 November 2017

Information requested

The use of the Data base (Insects-Aphids) of The SASA Research Institute and provided details to clarify your request on 31 October 2017.

Response

As the information you have requested is 'environmental information' for the purposes of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs), we are required to deal with your request under those Regulations. We are applying the exemption at section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), so that we do not also have to deal with your request under FOISA.

This exemption is subject to the 'public interest test'. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption, because there is no public interest in dealing with the same request under two different regimes. This is essentially a technical point and has no material effect on the outcome of your request.

I enclose a copy of most of the information you requested. Please find attached the data providing monthly totals of aphids caught at the following locations:

Site	Period of operation	Notes
Ayr	1997-2017	Autumn catches not always complete
Dundee	1997-2017
East Craigs 40ft	1997-2005
Elgin	1997-2000
Elgin2	2002-2016	Replaced Elgin
Gogarbank	2004-2017	Replaced East Craigs 40ft

Due to their scarcity, we only hold very sparse data on : COWPEA : Aphis craccivora black citrus aphid Toxoptera aurantii

As the following species are not recorded in Scotland, we do not hold any data on: RICE ROOT APHID: Rhopalosiphum rufiabdominalis; SOYA BEAN : Aphis glycine; MELON(COTTON) APHIDS : Aphis gossypii CITRUS- brown/black citrus aphid Toxoptera citricidus (Kirkaldy) and spiraea aphid, Aphis spiraecola Patch

Some of the information you have requested is available from other sources. You have also asked about meteorological records from the trap sites. These data can generally be obtained from the UK Met office (see https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/climate-historic/#?tab=climateHistoric). You have also asked about agricultural statistics for crops such as maize and potatoes (tomatoes may be included but they are produced under glass in Scotland) (see http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Agriculture-Fisheries/agritopics/Grassland where you will find links to other information sources and contacts from whom to obtain the data you require.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses

FOI-17-02514 - periods of operations with notes.xlsx

File type

Excel document

File size

50.6 kB