Have you learnt how to control slugs ?

robs1

Member
We had loads in autumn 2012, didnt drill a thing, by spring 2013 they had either drowned or starved, when I put some traps out I didnt catch one and not used one pellet since.
 

martian

DD Moderator
BASE UK Member
Location
N Herts
We had a lot of slug problems when we started direct drilling. Once we stopped using insecticides five or six years ago, the slug problem disappeared. We've all got a complex food web out in our fields, upsetting it by splashing too many biocides about brings on more problems. We now have a healthy population of beetles, spiders and other bugs who, in addition to controlling pests, themselves provide food for an increased population of birds and mammals. Happy days!
 

Wombat

Member
BASIS
Location
East yorks
We had a lot of slug problems when we started direct drilling. Once we stopped using insecticides five or six years ago, the slug problem disappeared. We've all got a complex food web out in our fields, upsetting it by splashing too many biocides about brings on more problems. We now have a healthy population of beetles, spiders and other bugs who, in addition to controlling pests, themselves provide food for an increased population of birds and mammals. Happy days!
We haven’t grown rape in 7yrs or used an insecticide in probably 10. I know we have only started direct drilling but the little buggers are always there

they just seem to enjoy our miserable wet shite
 

Andyrugby10

New Member
We have started direct drilling and started growing rape at the same time. We had a big issues in the wheat after rape. 4 years ago. We now have a massive slug problem. I think it was our own fault as we Chopped the rape straw, didn’t run the carrier over the stubble to make some tilth so the rolls didn’t make a job and also let the volunteers grow as a cover crop. 40kg of pellets to the H later and 260kg/h of seed it’s about coming through the other side. Learnt a lot this year the hard way.
 
Location
N Yorks
We had a lot of slug problems when we started direct drilling. Once we stopped using insecticides five or six years ago, the slug problem disappeared. We've all got a complex food web out in our fields, upsetting it by splashing too many biocides about brings on more problems. We now have a healthy population of beetles, spiders and other bugs who, in addition to controlling pests, themselves provide food for an increased population of birds and mammals. Happy days!
We are told this year that cereals are facing a plague of aphids and that BYDV risk is the highest in years.
Would you be tempted to spray an insecticide? Even the kindest one possible? Spray infield but not around headlands? Or just accept the risk?

I have used less and less in recent years but being told not to use this autumn would be a mistake
 
Slugs are now a much more manageable issue notill since 2012 apart from one year


that year we lightly disced after osr believing we needed to move soil to reduce slugs
it was the biggest mistake I made since going notill

we should have left the ground to green up with volunteers and drilled on the green
it was the first year with a weaving gd tool bare previously had a big disc
the gd allowed use to drill in wetter looser cultivated soil big mistake it rained for 10 days post drilling could not roll or get slug pellets on the heaviest land was spring barley at harvest solved the bg and slugs
this year the same block had a failed borage crop ( too cold )
we planted a rape and linseed cover in late June 18inches high at drilling on the green no slug damage
wheat established well

since then have planted notill on the green after osr never had a slug problem

I also planted on the green in the past rape and charlock volunteers after early cultivation using a power Harrow combi sprayed after drilling expected a poor crop due to poor seed coverage but had a very good crop
should have learnt then 1999
that year one field had so much charlock i ploughed it to bury it and realised what a waste of time

one of the traditional rules of reducing slug risk is to drill early
one of the rules of notill 2 weeks earlier in the autumn

in the spring being too early increase the slug risk due to wet slots and poor closure and increase the black grass risk

one of the rules or notill is 2weeks later in the spring
on heavier water retentive soils later drilling is not as debilitating as it is on dryer lighter soil
in a dry year a good layer of cover protects the surface from baking out
 

DRC

Member
Are many if you spraying for aphids .
move seen neighbours out and agronomists from 2 different firms have said we should be doing it this year . It’s 15 deg today in November and the end product is worth a lot of money .
 

ajd132

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Suffolk
Are many if you spraying for aphids .
move seen neighbours out and agronomists from 2 different firms have said we should be doing it this year . It’s 15 deg today in November and the end product is worth a lot of money .
cant find hardly any and very few caught in the rothamsted trap at brooms barn a few miles away.
the majority of agronomists just spray whatever to cover themselves, there is not thought process going into it. i know some people who have already been instructed to spray twice.
 

Rob Holmes

Moderator
BASIS
We had a lot of slug problems when we started direct drilling. Once we stopped using insecticides five or six years ago, the slug problem disappeared. We've all got a complex food web out in our fields, upsetting it by splashing too many biocides about brings on more problems. We now have a healthy population of beetles, spiders and other bugs who, in addition to controlling pests, themselves provide food for an increased population of birds and mammals. Happy days!
Exactly the same experience here too.
We had a massive slug problem about 5 years ago, but have stopped using insecticides and hardly need to apply any pellets since.
Still go OSR here too
I think the beneficials have increased even more since Deter has been banned too
 

ajd132

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Suffolk
We are still getting some fair slug problems in one situation in particular. The drill type makes a difference in this situation. In ex osr where there is green cover/volunteers the disc drill is fine. However we had some fields/patches where big areas were just bare soil as I presume the volunteers and planted catch crop were eaten by slugs. I’m these areas the pressure from slugs on disc drilled wheat was massive wheareas from the tine drill it barely registered. A good lesson on reading the conditions presented infront of you and making small adaptations to your plans if possible.
 

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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