AGRICULTURE NEWS - You’ve said that slug and snail numbers have shot up in recent years, leading to ever-greater damage to crops. Do you know what has caused this problem?

We’ve seen an explosion in snail and slug populations on farms over the past decade or so, resulting in commensurate damage to vegetables, fruit and grain.

Various factors have contributed to the problem. For one, the overuse of pesticides and other chemical products has destroyed the biological equilibrium on many farms. As a result, fewer natural predators, such as snakes and frogs, are available to keep slug and snail populations in check.

There are also fewer microbes in the soil to feed on slug and snail eggs. Paradoxically, the switch to minimum- and no-tillage farming has exacerbated the problem, as these practices don’t destroy the slug and snail populations in the way that ploughing does. 

In addition, cover crops and mulches help to create a favourably cool habitat for them.

Read the full article here on the Caxton publication, Farmer's Weekly

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