Farmers and crofters should know within weeks the steps they will have to take if they want to continue applying agrochemicals on their land.
Grandfather rights to automatically use plant production products end on November 26, 2015, Gavin Elrick, a senior consultant with SAC Consulting told a grassland improvement seminar held near Dornie in Lochalsh.
The grandfather rights apply to everyone born before December 31, 1964. But from next year they will require a certificate of competence if they want to purchase and use the products.
Mr Elrick told the seminar an announcement is expected imminently from UK authorities on just what individuals with grandfather rights will have to do to secure the necessary certification.
“At the moment there’s been no decision on whether they will have to undergo a full test or a simplified examination for this,” added Mr Elrick.
“There are, however, rumblings that it will be likely folk will have to go through the full test.”
The changes stem from the imposition of Europe’s Sustainable Use Directive in the UK last year. That allowed those with grandfather rights three years to comply with the rules.
The new law also makes it an offence from November 2015 for anyone without certification to attempt to purchase plant protection products for professional use. Firms selling agrochemicals will also be obliged to check that buyers are qualified from that date too.
Mr Elrick used the seminar, held at Killilan Farm on the Inverinate Estate at Sallachy, to remind those attending of the need to regularly calibrate and maintain their sprayer and fertiliser spreading equipment to avoid waste as well as over or under application. And he urged them to make sure they used the correct nozzles on sprayers.
SAC Consulting area manager Siobhan Macdonald and consultant Ross Mackenzie spoke about the threats weeds pose in grassland, particularly ragwort, bracken, rushes, buttercups, docks and thistles.
They spoke about how they can be tackled by draining or by spraying, but also highlighted the problems posed by buttercups and thistles as their seed can survive in the ground for decades and therefore create an ongoing issue which requires constant action.
Mrs Macdonald said bracken was now a particular problem as farmers and crofters had to make sure that all areas of it are removed from any claim for either single farm payment or less-favoured area support.
But she also highlighted the potential for treating it, despite the high cost at around £53 an acre.
“The benefit of that is that you get the grazing back and can claim for single farm payment and less-favoured area aid,” she added.
Consultant Janette Sutherland encouraged those present to tackle soil pH levels as rectifying these brought widespread benefits, not least in increasing the amount of flora which is beneficial to bumblebee and other insects.
But she urged farmers and crofters to first test their soils for pH so they can get recommended lime application rates for the particular type of soil they have.
She spoke too about the benefits clover brought to swards, but reminded everyone of its need for good levels of phosphate in the soil. Clover is a legume and naturally fixes nitrogen in the soil after its second year. Ms Sutherland said a good crop could potentially deliver the same amount of nitrogen as 500kg of Nitram over a hectare.
For those wanting to use swards for grazing then small clover varieties were ideal. Small and medium-sized clovers were best if grass is being used for both silage and grazing, while where only silage is taken large clovers should be grown.
“Well-managed grassland can deliver a boost for biodiversity,” she said. “Bumblebees are an important insect and as a pollinator. If we can get the habitats right, then we can encourage bumblebees back, including the likes of the great yellow bumblee which has not been seen here in Skye and Lochalsh for years,” she added.