No-Till Farmer
Get full access NOW to the most comprehensive, powerful and easy-to-use online resource for no-tillage practices. Just one good idea will pay for your subscription hundreds of times over.
Advertise Follow Us
7 Strategies for Reducing Slug and Vole Problems
No-tillers can battle these two pests with scouting, sound planting practices, strategic cover crop management, the right field equipment and some help from predators.
Pictured Above: COVER CROP SEEDING DATE AFFECTS SLUGS. This image of Ohio grower Bruce Renner’s field shows how the seeding date of cereal rye impacted slug damage. The top half of the field in red and yellow is where corn was harvested Sept. 28 and seeded immediately to rye. In the bottom half of the field, the corn was harvested 3½ weeks later. The earlier planted rye was thicker and taller, resulting in more slug damage. Slugs will eat virtually all crops and it’s not uncommon to see 20% yield losses from them.
While there are many benefits to long-term no-till and cover cropping, unfortunately, it is also a very stable environment for slugs and voles.
As former NRCS Regional Soil Health Specialist Jim Hoorman explained in a presentation at the 2021 National No-Tillage Conference, slugs like high humidity, low winds, and fields with surface residue and green food. Voles thrive under tall cover crops that protect them from predators and prefer to eat grasses, seeds and high-protein plants.
The good news is that no-tillers don’t need to break out the chisel plow to change course — tillage is only about 60% or less effective in controlling these pests, says Hoorman. Instead, there are preventive measures and practice changes you can make to protect your crops.
1. Start with Scouting
The level of pests you have will determine how aggressive you need to be.
To scout for slugs, you can put out a shingle, boards or even newspaper under a…
Premium content is for our Digital-only and Premium subscribers. A Print-only subscription doesn't qualify. Please purchase/upgrade a subscription with the Digital product to get access to all No-Till Farmer content and archives online. Learn more about the different versions and what is included.
Top Articles
Current Issue
Innovators Honored for Blazing a Path for No-Till Adoption
Searching for a Silver Lining After a Tough Year of No-Tilling
When it Comes to Brand Loyalty, More Growers Are Willing to Switch Brands with Planter, Drill & Sprayer Buys — Three Slices of the Overall Farm Equipment Market Which Are Critical for No-Tillers
Must Read Free Eguides
Download these helpful knowledge building tools
- How No-Till Improves Your Land Value
- 5 Pillars for No-Till Farming Effectively, Efficiently
- Making the Precision Basics Even Better with Implement Guidance
- Focusing on Smarter, Sustainable Fertilizing Strategies
Videos
Ponds, Panels, Pollinators: No-Till Innovator Takes Conservation to Next Level
On this edition of Conservation Ag Update, brought to you by CultivAce, No-Till Farmer’s Conservation Ag Operator Fellow, Ray McCormick, showcases how he’s taking conservation ag to the next level in Vincennes, Ind., with ponds, solar panels, duck hunting and more.
Top Directory Listings
Needham Ag Technologies, LLC
Needham Ag understands the role of technology in making better use of limited resources within a specific environment by drawing on a wealth of global experience to overcome the challenges facing today's farmers, manufacturers and dealers.
Titan International, Inc
Titan offers a full line of wheels, tires and undercarriage products for a wide variety of off-the-road equipment.
The Andersons PureGrade
The Andersons grows enduring relationships through extraordinary service, a deep knowledge of the market, and a knack for finding new ways to add value as we have done for nearly 70 years.