Pesticide Usage in Scotland: Rodenticides on Arable Farms 2020

This report presents the results of a survey of rodenticide use on arable farms in Scotland in 2020


Appendix 1 - Estimated rodenticide use and supplementary data tables

Number of occurrences of each rodenticide formulation and percentage of total occurrences

Table 1 Total estimated occurrence of rodenticide use on arable farms in Scotland - 2020
Formulation Number of occurrences Percentage of total specified occurrences
Brodifacoum 381 7
Bromadiolone 2,655 47
Bromadiolone/difenacoum(1) 61 1
Coumatetralyl(1) 28 <1
Difenacoum 2,455 44
Difethialone(1) 37 <1
Unspecified Rodenticide(2) 1,610
Total (excluding unspecified use) 5,618
FGARs(3) 28 <1
SGARs(4) 5,589 >99

(1) Estimates are based on <10 occurrences in the sample and should therefore be treated with caution.

(2)Rodenticides are recorded as unspecified when use has been recorded but product information is not available.

(3) First generation anticoagulant compounds: coumatetralyl.

(4)Second generation anticoagulant compounds: brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difenacoum, difethialone.

Weight of rodenticides applied (kg), expressed as formulations (combination of active substances) and products (active substances, bait and other co-formulants)

Table 2 Total estimated weight of rodenticides used on arable farms in Scotland – 2020
Formulation Formulation weight Product weight
kg kg Percentage of total specified use
Brodifacoum 0.07 1,675 3
Bromadiolone 1.48 29,659 48
Bromadiolone/difenacoum(1) 0.05 955 2
Coumatetralyl(1) 0.01 29 <1
Difenacoum 1.46 29,204 47
Difethialone(1) 0.01 202 <1
Total(2) 3.08 61,723
FGARs(3) 0.01 29 <1
SGARs(4) 3.07 61,695 >99

(1) Estimates are based on <10 occurrences in the sample and should therefore be treated with caution.

(2) Not including unspecified rodenticides.

(3) First generation anticoagulant compounds: coumatetralyl.

(4)Second generation anticoagulant compounds: brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difenacoum, difethialone.

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

Table 3 Farmer and PCP response to training and compliance questions - 2020
Question Percentage yes response
  Farmer (n=78)(1) PCPs (n=25)(2)
1) Have you attended a training course on rodenticide use?(3) *49 *100
2) Are quantity and location of baits recorded? 99 100
3) Are bait points protected from non-target animals? 100 100
4) Is bait regularly inspected? 100 100
5) Is bait removed after targeted baiting periods? 65 64
6) Are rodent carcasses searched for and removed?(4) 91 96

(1) Not all farmers returned compliance data. These farmers represent 94 per cent of the 83 farmers who conducted their own rodenticide baiting during this survey.

(2) Not all PCPs returned compliance data. These 25 PCPs represented 69 per cent of the contractors encountered during this survey and collectively conducted baiting on 61 per cent of those farms using a PCP.

(3) Training uptake by farmer here refers to all rodenticide use training, this differs from that reported in Table 5 which only records training that is compliant with rodenticide stewardship and allows professional rodenticide products to be purchased.

(4) Seventy farmers gave a response in relation to carcass disposal method. The most common method was burying (56 per cent), incineration (29 per cent), others included landfill (nine per cent), and disposal in dung middens (one per cent). Twenty-four PCPs gave a response in relation to carcass disposal method. The most common method was incineration (46 per cent), burying (42 per cent), collection by a waste contractor (eight per cent) and landfill (four per cent).

* Responses marked with an asterisk are significantly different between famers and PCPs (P<0.001).

Table 4 Farmer response to farm operation questions - 2020
Question Percentage yes response
  All farms (n=268)(1) Farms using rodenticides (n=221) Farms not using rodenticides (n=47)(1)
1) Is your farm a member of a quality assurance scheme 96 *99 *85
2) Is livestock kept on your farm? 55 57 45
3) Do you have a pig unit on your farm? 2 3 0
4) Do you have a poultry unit on your farm? 4 4 4
5) Do you have a grain store? 62 *67 *34

* Responses marked with an asterisk are significantly different between farms that did and did not use rodenticides (P<0.001).

Table 5 Farmer response to rodenticide stewardship questions - 2020
Question Percentage yes response (n=78)(1)
1) Are you aware of the rodenticide stewardship scheme? 87
2a) Have you completed a stewardship compliant training course? 28
2b) If no, do you intend to complete a stewardship compliant training course in the future? 9
3) When you last purchased rodenticides did you:
3a) Show a certificate of competence/training in rodenticide use 26
3b) Demonstrate membership of a compliant quality assurance scheme 72
3c) Purchase non-professional/amateur rodenticides (<1.5 kg pack) 0

(1) Not all farmers responded to stewardship questions. These farmers represent 94% of the 83 farmers who conducted their own rodenticide baiting during this survey.

Contact

Email: psu@sasa.gov.scot

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