Dr Kerry McDonald-Howard at the UK Agri-Tech Centre is exploring nematode application methods in trials at Rothamsted Research.
The trials are comparing precision application of nematodes with broadcast methods. “We need precision application to match at least, to reduce economic impact,” she says. Laboratory studies suggest that it could be effective, but these trials will provide more definitive data.
Kerry’s study uses three extra-large ‘Slug Trugs’ – raised wooden beds with sealed polytunnel covers adapted from gardening Veg-Trugs. Three treatments are being tested: a control just containing slugs and cabbage seedlings, one which has a broadcast nematode treatment across the soil, and a third where nematodes are applied directly to the slugs.
Plants are monitored regularly, slugs counted, and nematode infection recorded. At the end of each trial period, plants and compost are thoroughly assessed to determine slug survival and plant damage.
Precision application could significantly reduce costs for growers, as broadcasting nematodes across large fields is expensive. Kerry is also planning to test other biological solutions which could work well alongside nematodes.
Beyond slug counts, Kerry is using multispectral imaging at Rothamsted Research’s Digital Phenotyping Lab, alongside Fotenix, to distinguish slugs from soil and other field materials. Future work aims to identify slug damage versus other pest or mechanical damage, paving the way for rapid, field-based diagnostics.
“Slugs have outwitted us for decades,” Kerry concludes. “With better tools, clearer data, and smarter application methods, we hope to develop cost-effective and reliable control.”
Nematode facts
- There are over a million species of nematodes (also known as round worms)
- They can be found in some of the most uninhabitable places on earth
- 108 nematodes are associated with slugs and snails, however it is nematodes from the Phasmarhabditis genus that parasitise and kill slugs
- P. hermaphrodita and the P. californica are the two main contenders used in the biological control of slugs
- They are around 1mm in size and infect the slug through its breathing hole
- Once infected it takes 4-21 days to cause the slug’s death
About SLIMERS
SLIMERS – Strategies Leading to Improved Management and Enhanced Resilience against Slugs – is a three-year £2.6M research programme involving more than 100 farms and seven partners. Funded by Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme and delivered by Innovate UK, the project is led by the British On-Farm Innovation Network (BOFIN).
Other project partners are UK Agri-Tech Centre, Harper Adams University, John Innes Centre, Fotenix, Farmscan Ag and Agrivation.
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Issue #3
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From guesswork to ground truth: mapping the future of pest control
SLIMERS Project advances in the battle against slugs
‘Slug trials’ test nematode application techniques
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Gaining ground with novel wheat lines
Landrace wheats on trial
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