The PA Slug Project is back for another year as part of the Soybean On-Farm Network, funded by the Pennsylvania Soybean Board. Penn State Extension educators throughout the state are beginning to monitor for slugs and will be regularly sharing in this newsletter their observations and the risk posed by slugs to no-till crop fields. This year, we are trying to collect data early and focusing our efforts on the gray garden slug. Our goal is to develop a model to predict when gray garden slug egg hatch occurs in the spring and provide information on slug outbreaks and risk across the state.
As planting gets started and progresses, be prepared for slugs if there are wet and cool weather conditions. There are four slug species that can be encountered in Pennsylvania field crops and are monitored in our project. See our Slugs as Pests of Field Crops fact sheet for more details. If you want to deploy slug traps on your farm, check out our Scouting for Slugs in Field Crops video.
Slug Management
Our research indicates that managing slugs requires an integrated pest management (IPM) approach that should be planned well before the spring planting season. The most diverse rotations tend to experience the fewest slugs and adding cover crops can increase rotational diversity. Our research is also showing that higher populations of ground beetles can help suppress slug populations. Populations of these beetle predators are reduced by insecticide use, including broadcast applications and insecticidal seed coatings.
We have a few tips to help manage slugs in the spring:
Plant crops at the appropriate soil temperature to allow faster germination and seedling growth. Smaller seedlings with slow growth are more vulnerable to slug feeding damage.
Ensure good furrow closure at planting. If the furrow isn't closed well, it can create a "slug highway," allowing slugs to easily feed on seeds and seedlings.
Click here to read more psu.edu
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Categories: Pennsylvania, Crops, Soybeans