Rural Payments and Services

The aim of this item is to benefit water margins, woodland and grassland habitats by controlling Japanese and other invasive knotweeds and American skunk cabbage, giant hogweed or Himalayan balsam and preventing their spread.

This will allow native plants to thrive, provide better habitat for wildlife and help to protect riverbanks from erosion.

Primary treatment to control invasive non-native plants will not completely eradicate them and follow-up treatment will be necessary. It can take three or four seasons of follow-up treatment to achieve successful control. It is also likely that new plants will germinate in areas nearby. These areas should be checked and treated under this item, as well as regrowth.

Any land with re-growth following primary treatment, or where new plants from seed or fragments of Japanese and other invasive knotweeds, American skunk cabbage, giant hogweed or Himalayan balsam is likely is eligible.

Note: Apply for American skunk cabbage & other invasive knotweed control using the Japanese Knotweed option.

If you are not a landowner or tenant, you can apply for this option on land covered by a contractual licence. See scheme guidance on Occupancy of Land.

You must combine this item with the Control of Invasive Non-native Plant Species – Primary Treatment item.

It may be possible to apply for this item outside this area where there is strong justification as endorsed by NatureScot.

You can check if this item is available on your holding using the search targeting tool which can be found in the Management Options and Capital Items page.

Your invasive plant management plan must include a map and photographs showing the area to be monitored and treated for follow-up control.

It must include the type and timing of the treatment you propose and identify the locations of sensitive areas, where herbicide treatment would not be appropriate.

• you must monitor for and treat any regrowth or secondary infestation as detailed in your invasive plant management plan by one of the following methods:
  • Japanese and other invasiveknotweeds and American skunk cabbage must be treated with herbicide
  • giant hogweed must be treated with herbicide, unless agreed in your plan in sensitive areas by tap-root cutting, mowing or grazing
  • Himalayan balsam must be treated by either herbicide, strimming or hand pulling
• you must keep photographic evidence of the site before and after treatment as part of your claim
• you must treat any regrowth that develops during the growing season
• when using herbicide near water, you must use a glyphosate-based chemical that is approved for use and you, or your spray operator, must meet the conditions set out in SEPA's General Binding Rule 23(g), which allows the use of approved herbicides to control invasive non-native plants
• you must maintain a diary

You can claim:

• Japanese and other invasive knotweeds and American skunk cabbage: £700 per hectare monitored and treated
• giant hogweed: £340 per hectare monitored and treated
• Himalayan balsam: £340 per hectare monitored and treated

The inspectors will check:

• the location and extent of the work
• you have treated the infested area as detailed in your invasive plant management plan to ensure invasive plants are not permitted to seed and there a reduction on the density of the target invasive non-native plants over three to five years
• you have maintained a diary which includes the dates treatment was undertaken
• you have kept photographic evidence of the sites before and after treatment as part of your claim

Supporting guidance is available for this item.

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