Farmers use slug prediction maps to reduce pesticide use
9 reported
Farmers in England are using slug prediction maps developed through a research project to better target pesticide use, saving money and reducing environmental harm. The maps were created by computer models as part of the Slimers project, a three-year, £2.6m scheme funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and led by the British On-Farm Innovation Network. The project began in 2023 and ends in late August 2026. A team of 28 “slug sleuth” farmers were recruited to work with scientists, setting up traps on their land to monitor slug behavior. This data was fed into a computer model, and an algorithm predicted where slugs would be found in arable fields. The resulting maps were tested by 16 farmers over the past autumn and winter, helping them halve the amount of slug pellets needed. Charles Paynter, a farmer in Bedfordshire involved from the start, said he has cut back on pesticide use because he can now evaluate risks more accurately. The project also includes work to develop slug-resistant wheat varieties, with scientists identifying three areas of the wheat genome responsible for resistance to the grey field slug.
What’s reported
Slug damage to wheat and oilseed rape crops costs an estimated almost £44m a year in the UK.
The Slimers project is a three-year, £2.6m scheme funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and led by the British On-Farm Innovation Network.
The project began in 2023 and ends in late August 2026.
28 “slug sleuth” farmers were recruited to set up traps and collect data.
16 farmers tested the slug prediction maps over the past autumn and winter.
The maps helped farmers halve the amount of slug pellets needed.
The chemical metaldehyde was banned in the UK in 2022, leading to increased use of ferric phosphate pellets.
Prof Keith Walters and a team from Harper Adams University created the slug prediction model.
Scientists have identified three areas of the wheat genome responsible for resistance to the grey field slug.
Key figures
Charles Paynter, a farmer in Bedfordshire involved with Slimers from the start.
Prof Keith Walters, from Harper Adams University, who created the slug prediction model.
Sources: The Guardian
