Targeting applications of fertiliser and other inputs to crop requirements has become far more common with advances in digital mapping and precision technology, but when it comes to slug control, broad-acre defence still rules. Times are changing though. With a dramatically depleted molluscicide armoury, and continued pressure to use the last remaining chemical option - ferric phosphate pellets - responsibly, there is growing interest in the potential for targeting pellet applications just to hotspot areas. Doing so could deliver benefits to both the environment, wildlife and the bottom line, reducing reliance on chemical options, and providing a more sustainable way of protecting crops from a pest that could cost the UK industry an estimated £100 million per year without effective controls.
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