WHAT'S NEW
QUALITY FOR EFFECTIVE SLUG CONTROL IN ALL GROWING PRACTICES Slug and snail damage is greatest in spring and autumn as activity increases with moist and humid conditions. The most widespread species is the grey field slug (Deroceras reticulatum) which causes extensive damage to establishing and vulnerable crops. This slug species reproduces quickly, with up to 1,500 eggs per year, peaking in spring and autumn but extending in a wet summer season. Grey field slugs can be active from 1°C to the optimum for their activity of 17°C. With this in mind and the current wet season, leaving slugs unchecked and not effectively controlled can have devasting impacts on crop yield and quality. UPL New Zealand offers an effective metaldehyde-based slug and snail bait, METAREX INOV®. Produced by global leaders in bait formulation technology, De Sangosse, the quality and performance of METAREX INOV® is well known and has been utilised by growers for several seasons. Bringing further innovation and suitable for use in all crop situations, UPL’s IRONMAX PRO® is a BioGro certified slug and snail bait now available to New Zealand growers. IRONMAX PRO® is a biorational molluscicide containing a low concentration of ferric phosphate, a natural component of soil, in a specially formulated bait. It is a great fit for conventional, organic or regenerative growing systems. Both METAREX INOV® and IRONMAX PRO® have been formulated with De Sangosses’s breakthrough technology, COLZACTIVE®. According to Scott Hanson, country
manager of UPL New Zealand, “It means those growers seeking a high-quality alternative to metaldehyde have a proven choice. COLZACTIVE® differentiates both molluscicides by providing the grower with various advantages above other slug baits. “Successful control of your crop depends on product choice with the understanding of how pellet quality affects slug control. Slug pellets may look similar but there are differences between them that greatly influence performance,” explains Scott. COLZACTIVE® in both METAREX INOV® and IRONMAX PRO® ensures consistently high performance by delivering a bait more attractive, more palatable and faster acting against slugs and snails. It renders the bait more attractive than the seedling, ensuring that the slug ingests enough of the active substance. This translates into a lower rate required to consistently achieve high efficacy. De Sangosses’s production is through a unique and optimised wet process which results in pellets of consistent size, shape, and density. Pellet dynamics are important for spreadability. Both METAREX INOV® and IRONMAX PRO® are all-weather slug and snail baits. They are rain fast, so the bait lasts longer in the field thereby protecting crops for a longer period. Scott concludes with, “When choosing a bait ensure that the quality is foremost on the mind. It can be the difference between profit with crop success or loss with crop failure. Now all growers across New Zealand can effectively protect their crop with a high performing slug bait that suits their specific requirements.” For more information go to www.upl-ltd.com/nz or email enquiry.nz@upl-ltd.com
70 NZGROWER : NOVEMBER 2021
