Investment

Investment

GRDC Code: UOA2205-005RTX
More effective control of pest snails in Australian grain crops

Invasive pest molluscs are intractable pests for Australian grain farmers. Management of snail or slug infestations on farms with existing controls does not eliminate crop yield and value losses, high management costs, and market risks. Slugs damage crops by their feeding. Snails feed on crops but also infest harvested grain, which has wider flow-on effects. Opportunity costs (for example, growers planting crops other than canola to avoid losses from molluscs; infested grain is diverted to less lucrative markets) are not well-accounted for in our understanding of the full economic impacts of these pests. Conical snails have emerged as the major concern due to their cryptic habits and difficulty with control. Recent research investment has focused on molluscicidal control. It has been more than 20 years since engineering, cultural practices and other technological solutions for snail control have been assessed holistically despite significant changes in farming practices and technology. Growers need new tools as part of a systems approach for mollusc management. This investment will develop an integrated package of new biological knowledge, surveillance, and control methods, which will become tools to assist farmers to better manage molluscs on farm. The investment focuses on four species of Mediterranean pest snails and includes a range of inter-related activities that directly address priority areas. The range of activities is designed to provide immediate management omes for growers, including new tools and technologies, supported by underpinning biological data to inform control.

Project start date:
02/05/2022
Project end date:
30/06/2026
Crop type:
  • All Crops
Organisation
The University of Adelaide
Region:
North, South, West
Project status
status icon Active

GRDC News

Podcasts

Surveillance, flies and snails: new technologies for snail monitoring and control - GRDC
1716300000000

New national GRDC investment is tackling the snail problem from multiple angles by combining technology and biological research to inform...

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Nail the Snails! More effective control of pest snails in Australian grain crops - GRDC
1688479200000

Dr Kym Perry discusses the new GRDC investment looking at monitoring and control techniques to dealing with the widespread problem...

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Videos

Surveillance and flies: New technologies for snail monitoring and control

Surveillance and flies: New technologies for snail monitoring and control

1718200800000

Using surveillance to spy on snails and releasing a "killer" parasatoid fly are just two of the new controls being researched as part of a...

Resources

Bash'Em Burn'Em Bait'Em: Integrated snail management in crops and pastures -     GRDC

Bash'Em Burn'Em Bait'Em: Integrated snail management in crops and pastures - GRDC

1067605200000 Publication UOA2205-005RTX

Grain contamination by round and conical snails poses a serious threat to grain exports.