Farm manager Rhys Jones is tackling the pervasive problem of slugs head-on through involvement in SLIMERS. For farm owner Tom Pearson, embracing regenerative agriculture meant finding alternatives to conventional, more input-heavy, farming practices. This included introducing cover and companion crops, leaving chopped straw on the field before direct drilling, as well as a no-till controlled traffic policy. These practices although beneficial in many other ways, have an impact on slug control.
Rhys explains: “The brassicas in our cover crop mix and fields with chopped straw are slug havens, so joining the project was another opportunity to reduce inputs.”
Through monitoring slug populations using simple traps and meticulously recording data throughout the winter months Rhys has been contributing to the SLIMERS project’s broader goal of understanding slug behaviour and developing more targeted control strategies.
He’s enjoyed the process and learned a lot about managing trials along the way. Beyond monitoring, Rhys is also trialling a variety of ‘slug resistant’ wheat (see page 6). He is growing the Watkins variety and two RILs alongside his farm standard ‘Nelson’ to see whether the variety is indeed rejected by slugs.
The data collected by Rhys and other ‘Slug Sleuths’ is being used to refine control methods, potentially leading to the development of patch treatments, AI-powered monitoring systems, and automated slug control technologies.
The emphasis on farmer involvement and practical solutions is a key strength of the SLIMERS project, says Tom Pearson. “What BOFIN brings to the party is they are delivering proper research outcomes, but are very farmer orientated and asking questions that are relevant to farmers.”
For Manor Farm, participation in the SLIMERS project is about more than just controlling slugs. It’s about contributing to a wider movement towards sustainable agriculture, reducing reliance on chemical inputs, and fostering a deeper understanding of the complex ecosystems within our fields. It is also interesting for farm staff to be involved in this type of work, as Tom mentions: “It’s good to be part of something that is helping the industry while also contributing to making my farm a more exciting workplace.”