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Slugs and Snails – Agricultural, Veterinary and Environmental Perspectives. |
Slugs and Snails – Agricultural, Veterinary and Environmental Perspectives. 9 September 2003 The latest publication from BCPC considers the enormous amount of economic, medical and veterinary damage that can be caused by slugs and snails. Entitled Slugs & Snails – Agricultural, Veterinary and Environmental Perspectives, this 324 page book is a full record of the papers and posters presented at the two-day Symposium jointly organised by BCPC and the Malacological Society that was held at Canterbury Christ Church University College, Kent, UK, on 8-9 September 2003. "Two major factors give these gastropods an edge," explained Professor Georges Dussart, chairman of the Symposium. "Firstly, despite their low rates of movement they are good invaders. Their slime enables them to 'stick' to other organisms and objects and therefore they can travel long distances. Secondly, they flourish in association with human activities and have had medical impacts on humans for thousands of years." "Modern reduced-tilling methods of agriculture encourage the development of high populations of slugs in crops, and as retailers now demand quality produce, slug damage can have a serious economic impact. The problems are not however confined to the land, aquatic snails spread diseases such as liver and blood flukes often involving water buffalo as the secondary host" said Prof Dussart. This symposium considered all the major control agents including the use of appropriate farm practice and use of products such as methiocarb and metaldehyde. It also focussed on recent research into new compounds, including biological control using carabid beetles and the parasitic nematode Phasmarhabditis. The Symposium comprised of papers presented by speakers from countries around the world including Switzerland, Australia, The Netherlands, France, Zimbabwe, Spain, Germany as well as the UK. It began with an examination of the molecular biology in the study of molluscs and their interactions with man. Discussion followed on the role of molecular ecology and the predation on slugs and the use of DNA-based slug monitoring techniques to improve control. The role of gastropods as pollution indicators led to the next session which provided an insight into the control of pests, species conservation and pollution monitoring. A description of the biochemistry of a combination of molluscicide with a fusion protein gave the background for the session on ‘Prospects for Control’ where perspectives were offered on the risks of treatments and the suitability of caffeine as a potential new control method. A system to assess the risk of slug damage by means of a climate model, tested in France since 1999, was detailed as well as a successful technique to control snails that have become pests in sewage works. To achieve improved control methods it is essential to understand the factors affecting the abundance of terrestrial gastropods and this formed the basis for the session on 'Ecology and Behaviour' which examined the responses of slugs and snails to chemicals and predators. Concluding the Symposium the final session on 'Integrated Pest Management' examined novel approaches to the management of mollusc pests and how these can be integrated with other measures. The oral presentations were supported by 'Poster Papers' on subjects ranging from aspects of heliciculture in Greece to systems for countering parasitologically important snails in China. Copies of Slugs & Snails - Agricultural, Veterinary and Environmental
Perspectives cost £35. |
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