Pesticide Usage in Scotland: Outdoor Vegetable Crops 2023

Key Points

• Overall, estimated pesticide application to vegetable crops in 2023 was higher than that recorded in the previous survey in 2021 but lower than 2019.
• The increase in overall pesticide use since 2021 may have been influenced by more favourable climatic conditions for pests and pathogens in 2023, therefore, increasing the need for pesticide application. Winter 2022 and spring 2023 were warmer, and summer/autumn 2023 were wetter, than 2021 in the East of Scotland where the majority of vegetable crops are grown which may have increased disease and weed pressure on crops in 2023 compared with 2021.
• In 2023, the census area of outdoor vegetable crops grown in Scotland was approximately 21,500 hectares. This represents a 3% decrease in area from the previous survey in 2021 and a 15% increase from 2019.
• The principal outdoor vegetable crops grown in Scotland were peas and beans accounting for 55% of the cropped area. Leaf brassicas accounted for 16%, carrots 15%, turnips and swedes 7% and other vegetable crops 6%.
• The area of pesticides applied to vegetable crops per hectare of crop grown was 15% higher than that reported in the 2021 survey but 18% lower compared to 2019.
• The weight of pesticides applied to vegetable crops per hectare of crop grown was 17% higher in 2023 than in 2021 and 27% lower compared to 2019.
• The application of fungicides, herbicides, insecticides/nematicides, and seed treatments increased since 2021 (5%, 16%, 34% and 67% increases in treated area respectively). The area treated with molluscicides decreased by 30% since 2021.
• The estimated total area of outdoor vegetable crops treated with a pesticide formulation was ca. 166,100 ha (± 12% Relative Standard Error, RSE) with a combined weight of ca. 60.6 tonnes (± 17% RSE).
• Overall, pesticides were applied to 90% of the vegetable crop area, this is very similar to the 89% treated area in 2021. Herbicides were applied to 90% of the crop area, fungicides to 78%, insecticides/nematicides to 67%, molluscicides to 12% and 48% of seed was treated.
• In terms of area treated, the most used foliar fungicide active substance was azoxystrobin. Pendimethalin and lambda-cyhalothrin were the most used herbicide and insecticide active substances respectively. Fludioxonil was the only seed treatment active substance used.
• The fungicide metconazole and insecticide fatty acids C7-C20 were recorded for the first time on outdoor vegetable crops in this survey.
• Growers used a variety of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) methods in relation to risk management, pest monitoring and pest control. This third survey of IPM activities on vegetable crops found strong evidence for an increase in the proportion of growers reporting they completed an IPM plan from 2015 to 2023 but no evidence of change from 2019 to 2023 (81% in 2023 compared to 66% in 2019 and 36% in 2015).