Relative efficacy of biological control and cultural management for control of mollusc pests in cool climate vineyards

Restrictions on the use of synthetic molluscicides highlight importance developing alternative control methods. Nevertheless, biocontrol agents can be costlier and less effective than counterparts. One means increasing efficacy population suppression is to combine inundative biological with habitat management reduce growth target pests. Vineyards in cool, wet climate western England suffer from outbreak densities mollusc pests that damage expanding shoots, grapes promote transmission fungal pathogens. In this study we combined agent Nemaslug – Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita (Schneider) a simple approach (regular mowing) suppress vineyards South Western England. Two sites were treated NemaSlug or mowing factorial design early spring coinciding bud burst start feeding. Mowing was resulted reduction slug snail populations significantly damaged vines. did not numbers overall but damage, lowered proportion susceptible Deroceras spp plots. However, effect sizes nematode small, potentially because product could applied bare soil. Management practice for cool varies considerably site site. This shows value controlling novel emphasises how consideration pest biology lead alternatives.