£2.6m Defra-funded project launched to revolutionise slug control for farmers
A new £2.6m Defra-funded project that seeks to provide farmers with precision slug-control solutions launched yesterday (28 June).
Strategies Leading to Improved Management and Enhanced Resilience Against Slugs (SLIMERS) is a three-year research project involving over 100 UK farms and six industry partners, funded by Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme and delivered by Innovate UK.
The consortium of UK companies, research institutes and farmer networks, led by the British On-Farm Innovation Network (BOFIN), intends to provide two specific services to control slugs more sustainably.
“Since the ban on metaldehyde, there is now only one form of chemical control for slugs – ferric phosphate pellets – so protecting the longevity of this will require both a strategic and precision approach to slug management,” says project lead and BOFIN founder, Tom Allen-Stevens.
“Slugs are arable farming’s biggest pest issue which 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.”
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