This data product maps pesticide applications across England and Wales. It is produced at a 1km resolution with units of kg active ingredient applied per year. Pesticide application rates (kg/km2/yr) are calculated for each of the crops grown in each 1km square, with the total application calculated by multiplying the estimated rates by the area of each crop in the square. The product provides application estimates for 129 different active ingredients including herbicides, insecticides, molluscicides and fungicides. Uncertainty maps are produced alongside each active ingredient map to quantify the level of confidence in the estimated applications. Uncertainty is quantified using the distribution of each parameter estimate obtained from the modelling method and is expressed relative to the total application. The product is a snapshot of average applications between 2012 and 2016. The product builds upon the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH) Land Cover® Plus: Crops product. An average of CEH Land Cover® Plus: Crops 2015, 2016 and 2017 is used to reflect average crop coverage at the 1km resolution. Temporal variation in pesticide application is not modelled explicitly but is reflected in the uncertainty maps.
These maps were created under the NERC funded ASSIST (Achieving Sustainable Agricultural Systems) project to enable exploration of the impacts of agrochemical usage on the environment, enabling farmers and policymakers to implement better, more sustainable agricultural practices.