The use of pesticides to manage plant pests and diseases is a key management intervention across plant health sectors, particularly in agriculture, horticulture and commercial forestry production. Pesticide withdrawals through legislation, coupled with resistance development and their impact on plant health, have emerged as key concerns for Scottish plant health stakeholders.  This project quantifies the impacts on Scottish plant health that will arise from pesticide withdrawal scenarios and sets this in the context and time frame of alternative management tools. 

The key outcomes from the assessment of the risk of active substance withdrawals to Scottish plant health are that for all the plant health sectors (agriculture/horticulture, forestry and natural environment), the withdrawal of key substances would have a significant impact on the ability to manage pests, weeds and diseases effectively and economically. The Total Value of Output for all sectors would be affected. For the soft fruit and field vegetable sectors in particular, production will be significantly affected and may become uneconomic. Targeted pesticide use within an integrated pest management (IPM) system is recommended within all sectors.  

This report should be used and interpreted in conjunction with report PHC2020/09: Economic Impact of Pesticide Withdrawals to Scotland, with case studies.