Slug damage to the flag leaves of winter wheat

Crook

et al. 2003

Slugs are major pests of many crops, including winter wheat, in temperate climates, yet current methods of control are often unreliable. The aim of this study is to investigate the potential for common legume species to act as an alternative source of food, or trap crop, for the most damaging agricultural pest species, the grey field slug, Deroceras reticulatum Müller, thereby reducing damage to the wheat crop. A series of three controlled-environment experiments were designed to assess this aim. Individual slugs were fed leaves of one of ten legume species together with winter wheat leaves for a 72-h period. A clear hierarchy of acceptability was shown, with red clover, lucerne, lupin and white clover showing significantly higher Acceptability Indices than the other six species tested. Red clover produced the greatest reduction in mean wheat consumption (78%) from day 1 to day 3. When species were fed individually, red clover was consumed in significantly greater quantities than any of the other treatments: 40% more than white clover and 56% more than wheat. Furthermore, when fed with red clover the amount of wheat consumed was some 50% less than when the latter was fed alone. The results indicate that legumes vary greatly in their acceptability to D. reticulatum and it is essential that a legume with a high Acceptability Index is chosen, which results in the least amount of wheat consumed.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is acknowledged that most economic damage to wheat is caused by hollowing of the seed, but young wheat leaves are also palatable, and grazing of flag leaves can reduce yield 1. 20…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A laboratory evaluation of the palatability of legumes to the field slug, Deroceras reticulatum Müller

Crook

et al. 2003

“…The most severe damage is caused below ground where slugs feed on the germ of seeds shortly after sowing, and eat through the base of young shoots 3–5. Damage has also been found on flag leaves and can reduce yield, until feeding ceases as the leaves become inedible 6. The significance of slugs as a pest species has not diminished over the past 30 years, despite changes in agricultural practices 7…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A laboratory‐based comparison of a molluscicide and an alternative food source (red clover) as means of reducing slug damage to winter wheat

Cook

et al. 2005

Slugs are major pests of many crops in the UK, including winter wheat, yet current methods of control are often unreliable. This study investigates the potential use of red clover, as an alternative food source, to reduce the amount of damage caused to winter wheat by the field slug, Deroceras reticulatum (Müller). Two laboratory-based studies, each conducted over a 7-day period, investigated the effects of red clover seedlings and commercial metaldehyde pellets on damage to winter wheat seeds and seedlings. The results indicate that metaldehyde applications, in the form of commercially available pellets, resulted in significantly greater protection to wheat seeds compared with red clover, whereas metaldehyde and red clover were equally as effective in reducing damage to wheat seedlings. A further laboratory experiment investigated the effect of two slug population densities (48 and 16 adults m(-2)) and high and low red clover seed rates (125% and 75% of a standard rate) on damage to wheat seeds. Results showed that, at the highest slug population density, red clover sown at 125% of the standard rate gave 99% protection to wheat seeds, compared with the 75% seed rate which gave 55%. At the lower slug population density, both seed rates of red clover resulted in similar levels of protection. Implications for the potential use of red clover as an alternative food source for reducing damage to winter wheat in field conditions are discussed.

“…The most severe damage is caused below ground, where the slugs feed on the germ of seeds shortly after sowing and eat through the base of young shoots 3–5. Damage has also been found on flag leaves which can reduce yield, until feeding ceases as the leaves become inedible 6. The significance of slugs as a pest species has not diminished over the past 30 years, despite changes in agricultural practices 7…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The use of an alternative food source (red clover) as a means of reducing slug pest damage to winter wheat: towards field implementation

Cook

et al. 2006

Slugs are major pests of many crops in the UK, including winter wheat, yet current methods of control are often unreliable. The aim of this study was to investigate three issues key to the successful field implementation of a control strategy that uses red clover as an alternative food source to reduce the amount of damage caused to winter wheat by the field slug, Deroceras reticulatum (Müller). A series of three experiments was designed to assess this aim. Firstly, under laboratory conditions, red clover was consumed in greater quantities than wheat, even when wheat was presented as a novel food. Secondly, red clover had no significant effects on the emergence and early growth of wheat in a polytunnel experiment. Both these results are crucial to the successful implementation of a strategy that uses red clover as an alternative food source. Lastly, the results of a field experiment were consistent with the results of the polytunnel experiment, in that red clover did not significantly affect wheat emergence. However, plots in which red clover was left to grow until the time of wheat harvest resulted in significantly lower (43%) wheat yields than plots without red clover. These results suggest that red clover must be removed from the field after the wheat has passed its vulnerable seedling stage. Recommendations for the potential use of red clover as an alternative food source for reducing damage to winter wheat in field conditions are discussed and opportunities for further work are suggested.