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Funded Project

Funding Program: Western Region Information Networks

Project Title: Snail and Slug Management in Ornamental Crop Production Workgroup

Project Director (PD): Cheryl Wilen [1]

Lead State: CA Lead Organization: University of California

Cooperating State(s): Hawaii, Idaho, Oregon, Washington

Undesignated Funding: $10,000

Start Date: Jan-01-2009 End Date: Dec-31-2009

Pests Involved: Terrestrial snails and slugs

Site/Commodity: Ornamental crops

Summary: Terrestrial snails and slugs are persistent and often continual pest in ornamental crop production in the Western U.S. These pests not only cause direct injury by feeding on tender crops but a single mollusk found in a shipment can cause the entire shipment to be rejected and be destroyed. The cost of this can be in the tens of thousands of dollars. Because snails and slugs and their eggs can be found in soil and not evident without extensive examination, the movement of these pests are a real threat to not only ornamental production areas but food crops and natural systems where they can displace native species. Currently, pesticides containing metaldehyde, iron phosphate, and methiocarb are used to control snails and slugs but not provide consistent control and there are differences in control among the pest species in baiting technique and formulation. This project will meet WIPMC goals by helping to develop research priorities for snail and slug control by improving monitoring, developing thresholds, and identification of pest mollusks, as well as optimizing the pesticide applications. All of these are components of and IPM program. Demonstration economically feasible research results will help growers adopt these IPM practices and reduce the environmental and human health risks associated with managing these pests. Objectives: Despite the potential and realized economic and ecological costs attributed to terrestrial snails and slugs, research in the biology and management of these mollusks is conducted by few scientists generally located distant from each other in the Western U.S. Therefore, as the primary objective of this proposal, we would like to convene a workgroup to meet once each year in 2009 and 2010 to discuss current projects and priorities for future research and outreach.

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