Rural
26 July, 2024
Small in stature but a huge overall cost
They might be so insignificant as to go unnoticed in many cases but small conical snails are causing big problems on some properties, one of Australia's leading applied invertebrate ecologists warns.
Controlling often-undetected infestations of these snails could be crucial as southern Australian farmers struggle through a tough season, Dr Michael Nash says.
One of the leading experts on snail and slug control in Australia, Dr Nash said many farmers were unaware how much damage the species was doing to pastures.
“Snails graze and remove leaf area,” he said.
“A Dairy Australia survey of pasture pests shows that after red-legged earth mites, small conical snails are the second-most-prevalent and costly pest to the dairy industry."
Dr Nash will be among speakers at the Grassland Society of Southern Australia conference in Bendigo on July 17 and 18, where he will outline methods farmers can use protect their pastures against this prolific pest.
During the conference Dr Nash will present trial data on the loss of ryegrass dry matter due to snail damage.
“In a season like this with producers struggling to grow anything due to the lack of rain, that loss could be crucial,” he said.
Dr Nash said the increase in snail numbers had been caused by three consecutive wet springs.
As far as control was concerned, the dry conditions at present could be considered a blessing, he said.
“These dry conditions should be reducing snail numbers,” Dr Nash said.
“Hopefully they won’t be as much of a problem this year, and the same with slugs because they need surface moisture to be active.”
However, Dr Nash said property managers must keep small conical snails in mind.
“People need to be aware of it and try to stop the snails getting on their property in the first place,” he said.
“Farm biosecurity is very important.
"Farmers should make sure any pasture seed they buy doesn’t have any snails in it.
"The small conical snail is a hitchhiker species so it’s also likely to arrive on trucks bringing lime and seed to farms.”
Dr Nash’s presentation to the Grassland Society conference will include new bait technologies from Europe.
“There are new bait products on the market that contain a different active iron-based ingredient,” he said.
“They have a nil withholding period, which allows graziers to control the problems and not have to exclude stock.”
More information: www.grasslands.org.au