In metaldehyde’s final season of legal use, farmers in Severn Trent priority catchments have one final chance to be paid up to £5/ha for protecting watercourses from metaldehyde, through the Farm to Tap scheme.

Severn Trent catchment scientist, Laura Flower, explains that even though metaldehyde will soon be banned from use, there is no room for complacency in its application, as it still poses the same risk to water quality.

“In this final year of the scheme as we know it we will reward farmers in catchments that keep metaldehyde levels in watercourses below drinking water standards,” she says.

“While many farmers have already stopped using metaldehyde, the funding should provide those yet to make the switch with some buffer to fine-tune alternative slug control programmes, whether they be using ferric phosphate pellets or IPM techniques.”

To dispose of stocks of metaldehyde, Ms Flower recommends that farmers seek a chemical waste contractor, or seek advice from their distributor, especially if bags are unopened.

Applications for Farm to Tap are open now, until 15 September 2021. To check eligibility and register, please visit: https://www.stwater.co.uk/about-us/environment/catchment-management/farm-to-tap/.

Future of Farm to Tap

Although metaldehyde is going, the Farm to Tap scheme is not – while metaldehyde has been high profile for several years now, it is certainly not the only pesticide that poses a risk to water quality.

Therefore, variations of the scheme will open next autumn, to support farmers in reducing propyzamide runoff, while a second application window is hoped to open the following spring focusing on preventing MCPA runoff.

The evolved 2022 Farm to Tap will be very much geographically targeted towards areas that currently have water quality issues with these specific pesticides and will be frequently reviewed to ensure the best results for both farm productivity and water quality.

Further detail of the updated scheme will be published in due course. For further information please contact your local Severn Trent agricultural adviser or visit https://www.stwater.co.uk/about-us/environment/catchment-management/farm-to-tap/