Pesticide usage in Scotland: rodenticides on arable farms 2016
This report presents the results of a survey of rodenticide use on arable farms in Scotland in 2016.
Appendix 1 - Estimated Application Tables
Table 1 Total estimated occurrence of rodenticide use on arable farms in Scotland 2016
Number of occurrences of each rodenticide formulation and percentage of total occurrences
| Formulation | No. occurrences | Percentage of total specified occurrences |
|---|---|---|
| Brodifacoum | 508 | 6 |
| Bromadiolone | 3,821 | 45 |
| Chlorophacinone (1) | 27 | <1 |
| Coumatetralyl (1) | 9 | <1 |
| Difenacoum | 4,024 | 47 |
| Difethialone (1) | 72 | <1 |
| Flocoumafen (1) | 87 | 1 |
| Unspecified Rodenticide (2) | 393 | |
| Total (excluding unspecified use) | 8,547 | |
| Total first generation anticoagulants (3) | 36 | <1 |
| Total second generation anticoagulants (4) | 8,511 | >99 |
(1) Estimates are based on <10 occurrences and should therefore be treated with caution
(2) Rodenticides are recorded as unspecified when use has been recorded but product information is not available (refer to methods)
(3) First generation anticoagulant compounds: chlorophacinone (unapproved use), coumatetralyl
(4) Second generation anticoagulant compounds: brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difenacoum, difethialone, flocoumafen
Table 2 Total estimated weight of rodenticides used on arable farms in Scotland 2016
Weight of rodenticides applied (kg), expressed as formulations (combination of active substances) and products (active substances, bait and other co-formulants)
| Formulation | Formulation (kg) | Product | |
|---|---|---|---|
| (kg) | Percentage of total use | ||
| Brodifacoum | 0.23 | 4,696 | 5 |
| Bromadiolone | 2.22 | 44,448 | 49 |
| Chlorophacinone (1) | 0.02 | 269 | <1 |
| Coumatetralyl (1) | 0.02 | 5 | <1 |
| Difenacoum | 2.01 | 40,271 | 44 |
| Difethialone (1) | 0.02 | 624 | <1 |
| Flocoumafen (1) | 0.04 | 774 | <1 |
| Total (2) | 4.56 | 91,087 | 100 |
| Total first generation anticoagulants (3) | 0.04 | 274 | <1 |
| Total second generation anticoagulant (4) | 4.53 | 90,813 | >99 |
(1) Estimates are based on <10 occurrences and should therefore be treated with caution
(2) Not including unspecified rodenticides
(3) First generation anticoagulant compounds: chlorophacinone (unapproved use), coumatetralyl
(4) Second generation anticoagulant compounds: brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difenacoum, difethialone, flocoumafen
Table 3 Response to training and compliance questions
Response to questions regarding training and compliance with best practice of rodenticide use provided by farmers and pest control professionals responsible for rodenticide baiting on the surveyed farms
| Question | Percentage yes response | |
|---|---|---|
| Farmer (n=92) (1) | Pest control professional (n=23) (2) | |
| 1) Have you attended a training course on rodenticide use? | 11* | 100* |
| 2) Are quantity and location of baits recorded? | 96 | 100 |
| 3) Are bait points protected from non-target animals? | 100 | 100 |
| 4) Is bait regularly inspected? | 99 | 100 |
| 5) Is bait removed after targeted baiting periods? | 62 | 61 |
| 6) Are rodent carcasses searched for and removed? (3) | 68* | 100* |
(1)This represented 99% of farmers who conducted their own baiting during this survey
(2) This represented 74 per cent of the contractors encountered during this survey. These 23 PCPs collectively conducted baiting on 62 per cent (n=116) of those farms using a PCP
(3) Most respondents stated that they rarely saw carcasses. However, those who did employed a range of disposal methods including; incineration, burying, landfill and disposal in dung heaps and in slurry pits
* Responses marked with an asterisk are significantly different between famers and PCPs (P<0.01)
Table 4 Response to farm operation questions
| Question | Percentage yes response | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| All farms (n=240) (1) | Farms using rodenticides (n=209) (1) | Farms not using rodenticides (n=31) (1) | |
| 1) Is your farm a member of a quality assurance scheme | 92 | 97* | 85* |
| 2) Is livestock kept on your farm? | 53 | 57 | 41 |
| 3) Are pigs kept on your farm? | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 4) Is poultry kept on your farm? | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 6) Do you have a grain store? | 62 | 68* | 33* |
(1) These data represent 92 per cent of the farms sampled overall, 98 per cent of those using rodenticide and 87 per cent of those not using rodenticides
* Responses marked with an asterisk are significantly different between those farms that did and did not use rodenticides in 2016 (P<0.01)
Table 5 Response to rodenticide stewardship questions
| Question | Percentage yes response | |
|---|---|---|
| Farmer (n=92) (1) | Pest control professional (n=23) (2) | |
| 1) Are you aware of the rodenticide stewardship scheme? | 68* | 100* |
| 2a) Have you completed a stewardship compliant training course? | 9 | N/A |
| 2b) If no, do you intend to complete a stewardship compliant training course in the future? | 51 | N/A |
| 3) Have you purchased any rodenticides since April 2016 (3) | 41 | N/A |
(1) This represented 99% of farmers who conducted their own baiting during this survey
(2) This represented 74 per cent of the contractors encountered during this survey. These 23 PCPs collectively conducted baiting on 62 per cent (n=116) of those farms using a PCP
(3) Of the 38 farmers who purchased rodenticides post April 2016 (41% of respondents), the majority (29) did so by demonstrating membership of a compliant quality assurance scheme. Five purchased non-professional rodenticides and three purchased non-stewardship products which were available until September 2016
N/A (not applicable) - PCP training is compliant with rodenticide stewardship (via grandfather rights or new certification)
* Significantly different between famers and PCPs (P<0.01)
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