Arnold du Preez, proprietor of Snail and Slug Options, warns that the surge in slug and snail populations will show a significant risk to agriculture until farmers deal with the issue proactively.
Picture: Arnold du Preez
You’ve stated that slug and snail numbers have shot up lately, resulting in ever-greater injury to crops. Have you learnt what has brought on this drawback?
We’ve seen an explosion in snail and slug populations on farms over the previous decade or so, leading to commensurate injury to greens, fruit and grain.
Varied components have contributed to the issue. For one, the overuse of pesticides and different chemical merchandise has destroyed the organic equilibrium on many farms. Because of this, fewer pure predators, akin to snakes and frogs, can be found to maintain slug and snail populations in examine.
There are additionally fewer microbes within the soil to feed on slug and snail eggs. Paradoxically, the change to minimum- and no-tillage farming has exacerbated the issue, as these practices don’t destroy the slug and snail populations in the way in which that ploughing does. As well as, cowl crops and mulches assist to create a favourably cool habitat for them.
Many individuals suppose that utilizing wooden chips or different coarse mulch may also help to discourage slugs and snails, however they’ll slide over a razor blade, so these supplies do them no hurt.
On prime of this, climate patterns are altering. Within the Western Cape, for instance, wet days interspersed among the many regular scorching summer time days over the previous few years have produced beneficial breeding situations for molluscs.
All of those components imply that slugs and snails have been in a position to lay large numbers of eggs, and with out interference.
Do molluscs have any inherent breeding benefits?
Most snail species are hermaphrodites, which implies that every particular person has each female and male intercourse organs. With each snail being the potential mate of one other, the inhabitants can reproduce quickly. Some species of snail may even self-reproduce (asexual replica).
As well as, the eggs hatch solely when situations are beneficial, and this may be any time between seven days and three months or longer after being laid.
How efficient are molluscicides?
There are three main lively substances out there available on the market in the meanwhile,
however farmers and chemical consultants have reported resistance. I’ve even seen snails devour pellets, present indicators of being unwell for a couple of days, then recuperate fully. The offspring of those snails are prone to be fully immune in opposition to pellets.
Are there any new chemical substances on the horizon that might change this?
Lots of the lively substances in molluscicides utilized in South Africa are being phased out internationally due to concern over their environmental influence. Thankfully, they’re being changed by extra environmentally pleasant merchandise. What’s actually wanted are merchandise which might be efficient in opposition to sure species below particular situations.
Garlic and salt have lengthy been used for management of slugs and snails. Are these strategies ineffective?
Garlic can be utilized as a deterrent, nevertheless it doesn’t work for lengthy. Salt isn’t a good suggestion, due to its unfavorable influence on the atmosphere. As well as, it doesn’t appeal to molluscs.
What sort of harm do slugs and snails trigger?
They feed on vegetable and grain seedlings, and slugs additionally burrow into the bottom to feed on seeds. A single slug can hole out as many as 50 seeds in a single ‘sitting’.
Delicate-leaved crops akin to beetroot, cabbage, Swiss chard, lettuce and spinach are notably weak, and might find yourself broken and unsuitable on the market. Crops could even be fully destroyed.
Molluscs are additionally a risk in orchards and vineyards, the place they’ll injury
younger crops and feed on the fruit. They’re particularly interested in orchards below irrigation, shade netting and canopy crops. I’ve seen orchards the place these pests spend all their time on the bushes.
Is citrus focused by these pests?
Very a lot so. I do know of a farmer who misplaced half his Nardorcott [mandarin] orchard due to snail issues. The truth is, citrus extract is usually used as an attractant with a view to lure and destroy molluscs.
How severe is the slug and snail drawback, and what must be executed to resolve it?
It’s a nightmare. I’ve been concerned within the management of those pests for over 16 years and obtain each day calls from farmers and chemical consultants who’re at their wit’s finish as a result of they not know what to do about the issue.
These pests may turn into a risk to meals safety throughout the subsequent three to 5 years if there isn’t a drastic change to our method. Farmers have to begin off by monitoring their orchards and lands as they do for different pests, akin to false codling moth.
They should put out baiting stations to allow them to gauge the dimensions of the issue and establish the species of slugs or snails. This in flip will decide the molluscicide and dosages used.
Scouting will even assist with figuring out these components of the orchards or lands that want further administration.
As well as, farmers have to revert to administration practices that create a wholesome ecosystem with adequate predators to maintain slug and snail populations in examine.
What are among the errors made in slug and snail administration?
I’ve seen farmers administering the mistaken dosages or making use of the product on the mistaken time. Some even burn their lands to do away with these pests. It is a huge mistake, because it destroys all the pieces they’ve labored so arduous to realize with conservation-farming practices. It could actually take 5 – 6 years for a land to recuperate from such an intervention.
Strip burning – that’s, burning the land in sections – can maybe be thought-about higher than merely burning all the pieces directly, nevertheless it nonetheless destroys many useful organisms, and it’s additionally very labour-intensive.
If the issue is extreme and there’s no different, a farmer ought to slightly perform a light-weight tillage or pull a tyre on its facet over the land in the course of the warmth of day to reveal the eggs. This may sluggish replica of the pest.
What ought to fruit producers do to fight slugs and snails?
Baiting stations typically work nicely in orchards, though it takes a very long time to convey slug and snail populations below management. Sadly, baiting stations are ineffective with cone snails, as these molluscs lack a way of scent.
Slug and snail populations must be monitored all 12 months spherical. Many fruit farmers neglect to do that in the course of the busy choosing season, however that is when snails and slugs are at their most lively due to the abundance of fruit waste.
How do farmers know when snails or slugs have constructed up resistance to an lively ingredient?
We get many cellphone calls from farmers who say that the merchandise they’re utilizing aren’t working. That is both as a result of the slugs or snails have constructed up resistance to the lively ingredient, or as a result of the molluscicide is getting used incorrectly.
Relying on the product, the molluscicide must be utilized when slugs and snails are most lively. That is often when it’s cool – at evening or within the morning.
A molluscicide that needs to be ingested shouldn’t be utilized in the course of the breeding season, as slugs and snails don’t feed throughout this stage of their life cycle.
As with all pesticide, the farmer ought to observe the utilization directions of the product with care.
How do farmers know when slugs and snails are breeding?
After they’re breeding, they’re inactive, so it’s worthwhile to search for indicators of motion and the arrival of extra slugs and snails within the traps. The pests’ gathering locations must be encircled with the molluscicide pellets to kill the slugs or snails as soon as they begin transferring. Alternatively, the pellets will be positioned contained in the traps.
If the issue is so severe, why don’t individuals farm snails and slugs?
Snail-farming strategies have improved vastly over the previous few years, turning it right into a profitable enterprise. Many of the snails are exported to Europe and the US. The issue, nevertheless, is that solely sure species are in demand.
Within the meantime, farmers merely should turn into extra proactive of their efforts to regulate molluscs. Within the a few years that they’ve struggled in opposition to these pests, the issue has solely worsened. We have to up our sport if we wish to regain management of the scenario.
E mail Arnold du Preez at [email protected].
