Arable farmers up and down the country are being urged to ‘Get
Trapping’ in a new, nationwide drive to keep tabs on slug
numbers.
Using cutting edge mobile phone technology and the internet, the
campaign will give FWi users exclusive access to the first full
farmer grid of slug data collection that has been set up in the
UK.
“A slug surge last year followed by moist conditions through
much of the summer so far means we could be heading for a high risk
year from arable farming’s number one pest,” warns entomologist
Professor Glen, from Styloma Research & Consulting.
“But growers need to assess the risk to emerging crops on their
own farms under local conditions, and effective monitoring is the
only sound way to do this.”
To help growers keep tabs on the risk, FWi has teamed up with
Meta-metaldehyde manufacturer Lonza and UK pellet manufacturers De
Sangosse and Luxan to promote new slug-trapping guidelines.
One of the outcomes of a four-year industry and Defra-funded
LINK research project, the guidelines help growers assess the risk
of slugs to growing crops, minimise damage and target control to
ensure the most cost-effective strategy is in place.
The ‘Get Trapping’ campaign goes one step further. Growers
monitoring their slug population can text in results to help build
a national Meta-map of slug numbers that will be hosted on FWi.
As a further incentive to ‘Get Trapping’ and get counting,
growers who send in their results will receive a free key ring
penknife* and will be entered for a monthly competition for a case
of classic English wine.
Also keeping tabs on slug numbers will be four regional
specialists, all practical entomologists, including Prof Glen, who
have built up many years of experience at monitoring slug
populations.
“I’d urge every grower who wants to ensure they have a
cost-effective strategy that keeps the slug menace at bay this
autumn to get involved,” he says.
Click here for more details of the campaign and how to claim your
free penknife.
* Conditions apply – see campaign details for more.