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Funded Project

Funding Program: Critical and Emerging Issues

Project Title: Emergency Planning Meeting for Slug Management Working Group

Project Director (PD): Ames Herbert [1]

Lead State: VA Lead Organization: Virginia Tech

Undesignated Funding: $1,325

Start Date: Jan-25-2010 End Date: Jan-27-2010

Pests Involved: Slugs

Summary: Slugs are rapidly becoming a major pest problem in the Mid-Atlantic region, affecting corn, soybean, small grain and vegetable cropping systems. A recent survey of crop and soil science extension agents in Virginia indicated that slugs had a significant impact on corn and soybean crops in Virginia this year (see figures, attached). Nearly one quarter of survey respondents indicated that more than 20% of the corn in their counties was impacted, and 6% of the agents told us that more than 20% of the soybean acres were affected. The economic impact of slugs in the region is significant, as nearly 30% of agents reported that at least 100 acres of cropland in their counties required replanting due to slug defoliation and stand loss. In many cases, well over 500 acres of land required replanting. Perhaps most disturbing however, is the potential threat to our continuous no-till systems in the region. When asked if farmers in their counties would take their land out of no-till in order to try and alleviate slugs, over 50% of agents said yes. When considering the massive amount of sediment loading that this practice change would add to the watershed, this is unacceptable. Similar levels of slug damage have been recently reported from areas of Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware. Objectives: In order to begin to address this issue on a regional scale, it is our intent to establish a Working Group with cooperators from several states in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. State entomologists, extension specialists and extension agents from Virginia, Delaware, Maryland and Pennsylvania, and representatives from NRCS have expressed an interest in joining this Working Group. We consider the meeting in January to be an emergency planning meeting where we will discuss results of ongoing slug research, short and long-term goals for developing management practices, and prepare a white paper outlining the issues, plans, goals and objectives of a formal Slug Management Working Group.

Final Report:

Outputs Funds supported a meeting that resulted in the establishment of the Mid-Atlantic High Residue Cropping Systems IPM Working Group (HRIPM). The meeting was held in Richmond, Virginia on Jan. 27, 2010. Attendees included Bill Cissel, UDE; Bobby Clark, VCE-Shenandoah Co.; Ames Herbert, Virginia Tech; Brian Jones, VCE-Augusta Co.; Chris Lawrence, NRCS; Jim Lewis, UMD; Matt Lewis, VCE-Northumberland Co.; Sean Malone, Virginia Tech; Richard Taylor, UDE; Wade Thomason, Virginia Tech; Amber Vallotton, VCE-Rockingham Co.; Del Voight, PSU; Joanne Whalen, UDE; and Rod Youngman, Virginia Tech. The group developed short and long term objectives and coordinated efforts for the coming season.

Outcomes Goals included 1) determine the efficacy and economics of slug bait applications and other control strategies, 2) develop keys for slug species identification in the Mid-Atlantic, 3) determine where and when to apply treatments based on the factors driving slug populations, distribution, and damage (environmental, ecology, life cycles and hatching, interactions with other biota, feeding preferences in cover crops), 4) evaluate different planting date strategies in corn, 5) obtain information, via a producer survey, to determine extent of the problem and practices that might contribute to risk, and 6) finding local funding resources for agents to accomplish field activities. Planned deliverables for 2010-2011 included 1) publication on identifying slug damage, 2) publication on identifying slug species and management recommendations, 3) paper survey to determine grower history of slug damage and trends, 4) field survey. Long-term objectives included 1) develop economic threshold levels, 2) develop an understanding of factors that increase or affect risk, and 3) develop an understanding of species biology and ecology of the environment.

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