Potato Review

www.potatoreview.com POTATO REVIEW MAY/JUNE 2023 43 SLUG CONTROL Get pellet application right for optimum slug control Not all slug pellets and applicators are created equal. Potato Review looks at some of the market leading-products and nd out how to get the most out of them this season and beyond. E FFECTIVE slug control is essential for achieving a high- quality potato crop, so it is worth going to some e ort to pick the right pellet, put it on at the right time and apply it as accurately as possible. Pre-canopy closure is one of the key application windows, allowing pellets to be spread evenly onto bare soil before leaves bulk out and get in the way. When spreading early like this, it’s essential to pick a good quality, durable pellet that will give long-lasting control. Important attributes include the ability to stay intact when subjected to heavy rain or irrigation, as well as mould resistance so that they remain palatable to slugs. e same applies at the end of the season where applications can be required at tuber bulking and post burndown to prevent any damage occurring prior to harvest. Pellet choice A good example is Sluxx HP from Certis Belchim, which was the rst ferric phosphate product on the market. Launched more than a decade ago, it has a proven track record for e ective slug control in a range of conditions. ere are several reasons for its success, one of which is the fact that it’s produced using a wet process, rather than cheaper steam or dry techniques. is means the pellets are stronger and resist breaking up when spread using a spinning-disc applicator, unlike some lower-cost options that can turn to dust. Added to that, its pasta-based recipe is highly desirable to slugs and includes an e ective anti-mould additive that prevents them from deteriorating, according to Northern Technical Specialist Harry Raley. “Slugs are surprisingly fussy eaters, so pellets need to stay fresh in order to give e ective control over long periods,” he said. Another important factor is spreading accuracy. Applicator choice plays a large role in this even the best machines come unstuck when working with poor quality pellets. Being tough enough to resist breaking up when spreading is part of this, but the pellets also need to be of a uniform size to give an even spread pattern. Slugs are random feeders, bumbling around until they nd something they want to eat, so having an evenly-distributed carpet of palatable morsels will signi cantly improve their chances of nding them. For example, Sluxx HP has a 1mm production tolerance on the length of pellets, meaning they all have similar ballistic properties. As a result, they can be accurately spread by spinning- disc applicators at distances of up to 36m. One slight downside of this spreading ability and durability, is that the Sluxx HP pellets must be of a reasonable size, which limits the number of baiting points. For high-pressure situations, this is where mini pellets such as Menorexx come in. eir smaller format means there can be up to double the number of bating points for slugs to discover, however, they aren’t quite as durable on the soil surface and they can’t be spread beyond 24m. Application methods Slug pellet application on potatoes is typically carried out using a pelleter mounted on a self-propelled sprayer and, occasionally, tractor-mounted or trailed machines. Generally, this means the machine in question will need to spread accurately to 24m or 36m (sometimes more) and have a suitable level of sophistication to complement the sprayer. is means features like speed-related rate control and automatic headland switching are highly desirable. ➜ Techneat’s Outcast V2 has a central hopper that meters pellets into an airstream feeding a series of satellite spinning discs mounted on the sprayer boom.