Of the three main grain crops prone to snail and slug infestations, wheat is the most likely to sustain significant damage at the seed stage. Snails are not known to damage seeds, but may damage germinated seeds close to the soil surface. However, Slugs, being able to feed under the soil surface, will likely start feeding on the wheat seed’s embryo and endosperm as soon as they’ve been drilled. Just one single slug can hollow out as many as 50 wheat seeds in the first week after drilling.
It is not just the seeds that come under attack. Snails will bite seedlings off at ground level, with young cereal leaves being a firm favourite on the diet of snails and slugs alike. Shredding is the most obvious sign of a grazing frenzy, giving the leaves a frayed appearance.
Different species of slugs cause differing amounts of damage, an effective trapping and monitoring system as provided by Snail and Slug Solutions is highly recommended to establish species and growth numbers. If trapping reveals slug populations below the threshold level it’s wise to keep monitoring for problems, as snail and slug numbers can increase rapidly in a very short period of time.
Canola crops especially need careful monitoring as damage to canola crops can be difficult to detect if seedlings are chewed down to the ground during emergence.