With recent rains enabling autumn drilling to kick off in earnest, arable growers are being reminded that, despite the summer’s dry conditions, the potential for slugs to decimate emerging crops is still significant and that good quality slug pellets must be applied accurately and on time to ensure crops remain protected.

“Given how hot and dry conditions were throughout the summer, there’s an assumption that the threat posed by slugs could be reduced this autumn,” explains David Griffitihs, Technical Manager for ADAMA UK. “Unfortunately, that’s not strictly true as although slugs need moisture to remain active, they are exceptionally well adapted to surviving adverse conditions. Therefore, as soon as wetter weather returns, they will start looking for fresh seedlings to feed on with any damage sustained at emergence having the potential for entire plants to be lost. Applying good quality slug pellets on time and accurately will therefore be essential to prevent damage getting out of hand, even after this summer’s drought.”

 David urges growers to regularly monitor for the presence of slug activity and to be

prepared to protect vulnerable young crops as soon as slugs have been observed. “Slug pellets should only be applied once slugs have been seen on the soil surface, and only if weather conditions are favourable,” he explains. “For example, pellets shouldn’t be applied immediately prior to heavy rainfall as this can cause poorer quality products to degrade quickly. Regular slug counts, along with a close interrogation of the weather forecast, should therefore be a priority, with pellet spreaders calibrated and ready to be deployed as soon as slugs have been seen and a period of favourable, settled weather prevails.”

 David explains that pellet size and consistency are vital to application accuracy: “As well as ensuring spreading equipment is properly set up and operated at a sensible forward operating speed of around 12kph, it is important to select pellets of an appropriate size, weight and shape, all of which have a significant effect on spreading ballistics and therefore on how accurately the pellets will be applied.”

 Only the highest quality pellets will achieve consistent and accurate spread patterns David continues. “For example, pellets such as Gusto^® IRON (2.94% ferric phosphate) and ADAMA’s new mollusicide, FERRABAIT^® (1% elemental iron), are manufactured to strict tolerances to ensure they match their 2.5mm by 2.0mm size specification. This ensures a consistent spread pattern and an optimal number of baiting points of 40-50 pellets per m² when applied at typical field rates.”

 Gusto IRON and FERRABAIT pellets also offer improved longevity in wet conditions and are characterised by their bright blue colour which makes them easily visible in seedbeds so that growers can quickly assess when a second application is required.

 “Both of ADAMA’s molluscicides provide fast-acting protection against crop damage by suppressing slugs’ appetites as soon as they are ingested,” David explains. “They also offer class-leading durability and palatability thanks to ADAMA’s ‘Desidro Technology’ manufacturing process which uses a two-stage drying process to ensure an ideal balance between pellet persistence in wet weather and palatability.”

 The Desidro manufacturing process also gives both products excellent mould-resistance, with independent trials showing that Gusto IRON and FERRABAIT pellets retain their shape, colour and palatability and remain mould-free for up to a week longer than other leading brands in wet conditions.

 “Developing and manufacturing high quality slug pellet takes a lot of time, research and testing,” David concludes, “so it isn’t safe to assume that different products will offer the same level of protection. It therefore pays to invest in good quality, long-lasting slug pellets such as Gusto IRON or FERRABAIT to keep valuable crops better protected for longer.”

 For more information about Gusto^® IRON visit https://www.adama.com/uk/en/our-solutions/molluscicides/gusto-iron

 For more information about FERRABAIT^® go to https://www.adama.com/uk/en/crop-protection/molluscicides/ferrabait