01785 840 849Call SCS on 01785 840 849 Book a test

Slug pelleters: the test the law requires.

An NSTS test for pellet applicators, whether you apply pellets with a pelleter, a fertiliser spreader or a spout. For a slug pelleter it’s a legal and farm assurance requirement: by the machine’s fifth birthday, then every six years.

Book a pelleter test Or ring 01785 840 849

What happens on the test

  1. The machine gets an MOT

    An inspection of the applicator before it spreads anything.

  2. Your pellets get analysed

    Bulk density, crush strength and size, from the pellets you’ll be using.

  3. The full-width tray test

    Trays across the full width of the spread. We count the pellets that land on each side of the machine, then adjust it until both sides match and the pattern holds across your bout.

  4. You get the NSTS report

    It lists the pellet count at each metre of the spread width, and it’s registered with NSTS.

NSTS allows a 15% difference between each side of the spreader. We also check that the pellets land evenly across the full width, not just that the two sides match.

SCS wrote the original qualification for slug pelleter testing. NSTS adopted it.

Checking the disc on a quad-bike pelleter.

Why the pattern matters with pellets

Fertiliser is spread at hundreds of kilograms a hectare. Slug pellets go on at a few kilograms, so every pellet counts.

Agronomists aim for at least 40 baiting points per square metre; one ferric phosphate product puts down about 59 per square metre at its full 7 kg/ha dose, according to its manufacturer.1 That’s roughly one pellet every 13 cm.

Pellets are small and light, so they don’t throw far and the wind moves them. If the spreader can’t reach the bout width you’re driving, the middle of each bout gets too few pellets to protect the crop. If one side throws further than the other, every other strip is short. And with ferric phosphate, slugs die within three to six days, often underground,2 so you won’t see the gaps as dead slugs. You’ll see them as damage.

The law, and your fertiliser spreader

Slug pellets are a plant protection product, so a slug pellet applicator must pass an NSTS inspection under the Sustainable Use regulations (the SUD).34

If your fertiliser spreader puts on pellets, Red Tractor and SQC say it needs the same test.

Slug pellet applicators: the law and the assurance schemes
WhoWhat they sayNSTS test
No farm assurance: the law (the SUD)Slug pellet applicators must be inspected, with regular calibration and technical checks between tests; a professional user mustn’t use one that hasn’t passed.356Before 5 years old, then every 6
Red Tractor: Crops, Beef & Lamb, Dairy, Fresh Produce and Pigs (EC.7)Lists “slug pelleter (including electric spinning disc and hydraulic/PTO fertiliser spreaders)” for an NSTS test, with a calibration every year.789101112Before 5 years old, then every 6
Scottish Quality Crops (2.18 and 2.19)An NSTS test, and calibration at every change of product.1312Before 5 years old, then every 6
Quality Meat Scotland: cattle and sheep (10.12)An NSTS test, with general maintenance and calibration of pesticide equipment.1412Before 5 years old, then every 6

More on the rules: do slug pellet applicators need testing?

What you get

The NSTS report for the machine: the pellet count at each metre of the spread, side by side, registered with the scheme.

Every NSTS test carries the NSTS certification fee. It’s what keeps the assurance inspector happy.

How long the test takes depends on the machine. We’ll give you an idea when we book.

  • The NSTS report. The pellet count at each metre, both sides, and the settings.
  • A record on the NSTS database. You, your assessor or a buyer can check a test online by entering its certificate number on the NSTS website.15

Making slug pellets or applicators? We run slug pellet trials; the data behind Certis’s slug pellet Calibration Wizard came from our trials.16

Questions.

Does a quad bike or ATV slug pelleter need testing?

Yes. The inspection rules cover professional pesticide application equipment other than handheld and knapsack kit,3 so a pelleter on a quad or ATV is included, and Red Tractor names electric spinning-disc spreaders in its slug pelleter row.7

Does my fertiliser spreader count?

If it puts on slug pellets and you’re in Red Tractor or SQC, yes. Red Tractor lists hydraulic and PTO fertiliser spreaders as slug pelleters,7 and SQC says a spreader used for pellets must be tested and calibrated for each product.13

How do I check when my pelleter was last tested?

Enter the test certificate number on the NSTS website’s lookup page. It shows when the test was registered.15

Do I need to calibrate between tests?

Yes. The regulations require users to calibrate and check equipment regularly.5 Red Tractor’s calibration record template says equipment applying slug pellets should be calibrated whenever the product changes.17 NSTS advises calibrating with dummy pellets of the product you’ll use.18

Book a slug pelleter test

Check when yours was last tested. If it’s coming up to five years old, or six years since its last test, it’s due.

  • The make of pelleter, or the spreader you apply pellets with
  • The pellets you’ll use
  • Your postcode, so we can send the nearest engineer
Book a pelleter test 01785 840 849

Or email info@spreadcheck.com. We’ll ring you to fix a date. Nothing is booked until we’ve spoken.

Our other tests

Farm tests: all four machines, and how often each one is due

Sources

  1. Farming News (manufacturer-sourced figures), Durable slug pellet critical as rain continues, 2024.
  2. AHDB, Chemical and biological control of slugs, accessed 2026.
  3. legislation.gov.uk, The Plant Protection Products (Sustainable Use) Regulations 2012 (the UK’s “SUD” rules), regulation 12, 2012.
  4. NSTS, Slug pellet applicator test, accessed 2026.
  5. legislation.gov.uk, The Plant Protection Products (Sustainable Use) Regulations 2012, regulation 13 (calibration and checks), 2012.
  6. legislation.gov.uk, The Plant Protection Products (Sustainable Use) Regulations 2012, regulation 14 (use of equipment that has passed inspection), 2012.
  7. Red Tractor, Combinable Crops and Sugar Beet Standards, version 5.1, EC.7 and EC.10, February 2025.
  8. Red Tractor, Beef and Lamb Standards, EC.10 and guidance, 2025.
  9. Red Tractor, Dairy Standards, EC.10, 2025.
  10. Red Tractor, Fresh Produce Standards, version 5.1, EC.7, February 2025.
  11. Red Tractor, Pig Standards, version 5.1, February 2025.
  12. SCS, Testing requirements by assurance scheme: a summary of the scheme standards (fertiliser spreaders, slug pellets, granular applicators, sprayers), October 2026.
  13. Scottish Quality Crops, The SQC Standards, 1.11, 2.17 to 2.19, October 2026.
  14. Quality Meat Scotland, Cattle and Sheep Assurance Scheme Standards, in force from 1 January 2026.
  15. NSTS, Look up your test details, accessed 2026.
  16. Agriland, New online tool aids more accurate slug pellet application, 2020.
  17. Red Tractor, PPP equipment calibration records template, 2021.
  18. NSTS, Slug pellet applicator testing leaflet, 2022.