Slugs are arable farming’s biggest pest issue which is estimated to cause about £43.5m of crop damage per year to wheat and oilseed rape in the UK.
Since the ban on metaldehyde, there is now only one form of control chemical control for slugs – ferric phosphate pellets. Protecting the longevity of this will require both a holistic and precision approach to slug management.
SLIMERS is a £2.6m farmer-led research programme set to change the way slugs are monitored and treated, in a bid to drive sustainable solutions for slug managements. The project is led by the British On-Farm Innovation Network (BOFIN) with six project partners including Harper Adams University, John Innes Centre and UK Agri-Tech Centre.
SLIMERS is funded by the Small R&D Partnership Projects, part of Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme which is delivered by Innovate UK. Project number 10053286.
