‘Get orders in’ as bracken killer withdrawal looms

With the deadline for withdrawing the bracken killer Asulam from the marketplace approaching fast, NFU Scotland met this week with the pesticide manufacturer United Phosphorus to map out the short and long term availability of the weedkiller.

A decision taken last week in Europe will see Asulam taken off the shelf by 31 December, with any stocks being used up by December next year.

However, the Scottish union along with other organisations who see Asulam as an essential tool in controlling bracken is seeking a national emergency authorisation for the chemical. If successful, this would allow Asulam to be available for four months annually, and Andrew Bauer of NFU Scotland has said he is reasonably positive about such a bid.

He said one of the first actions likely users should take if they propose to use Asulam in the 2012 season would be to contact their aerial applicator, ground contractor, or distributor by the end of this month.

Bauer said: “Our understanding is that orders for Asulam do not need to be paid for by the 31 December 2011 deadline. It is sufficient for an order to have been placed, an invoice received, and the stock to be clearly marked.”