Scientists at UK government-funded AgriTech centre, Crop Health and Protection (CHAP) and the John Innes Centre (JIC) are conducting groundbreaking research to help control the pests while cutting the use of pesticides so that more crops end up on consumers’ plates.
The slug scourge is estimated to cause around £43.5m worth of crop damage a year to wheat and oilseed rape in the UK, according to British On-Farm Innovation Network (BOFIN).
BOFIN leads a consortium which is being funded by government to research ways of combating the problem.
Strategies Leading to Improved Management and Enhanced Resilience Against Slugs (SLIMERS) is a three-year £2.6m research programme which involves more than 100 UK farms and six organisations.
BOFIN is hoping to recruit volunteers to sign up as Slug Scouts, with anyone able to enrol. These will be given guidance on how to collect slugs and send them into the labs contained in a Slug Scout pack.
The pests can be trapped and collected from anywhere dark and moist enough to harbour them, said BOFIN, although the research is specifically focused on the grey field slug.
Dr Jenna Ross from CHAP said: “I travelled the world in 2018 as a Nuffield Farming scholar and noticed a gap in the market for improved slug control.
“Slugs are arable farming’s biggest pest issue which, without adequate control, is estimated to cost the UK industry about £43.5m per year.
"Developing solutions to tackle these pests sustainably could be a game-changer for the entire industry and wider supply chain.
“Farmers urgently need alternative control measures that are effective, sustainable, environmentally and societally acceptable, and economically viable.
"Researchers at CHAP and JIC are conducting vital research that will help us achieve this, but in order to succeed we need as many slugs as possible.”
Those who sign up receive a free Slug Scout pack, which will include full instructions on how to set up a Slimery -to attract and trap slugs
They will receive a slug identification guide, plastic containers for the harvested slug and postage-paid envelopes to send them into John Innes Centre or Crop Health and Protection (Rothamsted Research office).
They will also be issued with tweezers to pick up the slugs, and a BOFIN pin badge, pen and leaflet.
“We received a terrific response when we put out a call earlier this year with over 1,000 slugs received,” said BOFIN founder Tom Allen-Stevens.
“If you’re new to the world of slug research and would like to help, we’d love you to get in touch.”
Source - https://www.eadt.co.uk
