Rural businesses have urged the Scottish government to grant immediate authorisation for Asulox to control bracken following news that it has been permitted for use in England.
The decision in England paves the way for use of Asulox in Scotland, but permission is needed from the Scottish government's biodiversity minster Lorna Slater and rural affairs secretary Mairi Gougeon.
NFU Scotland, Scottish Land & Estates (SLE) and Bracken Control Group wrote to the Scottish government last week asking for permission to be granted "as a matter of urgency before bracken grows out of control".
The groups have now requested an 'urgent meeting' with Ms Gougeon to discuss the issue in greater detail.
An aggressive and invasive weed, there are reports that it is growing frantically throughout the hillsides of Scotland.
Where bracken grows, the land is unproductive, and it is also a risk to livestock health due to the abundance of ticks.
Stephen Young, director of policy at SLE, said the Scottish government must now "act as quickly as possible to allow action on bracken to get underway."
He said: “The right decision has been taken in England regarding the use of Asulox to control bracken and we are urging the Scottish Government to take the same step for farmers and land managers in Scotland.
“We recognise there are some concerns about the use of Asulox - a substance we would hopefully be able to find an alternative to in the medium to long term.
"However, there needs to be a recognition that the environmental impacts of not permitting its use is far worse, particularly in terms of tick control and its impact on human health, livestock, pets and biodiversity."
