Conservation tillage, field crops, and slugs in North America

Abstract: Slugs are often problems in field crops grown using conservation tillage practices inthe eastern United States, as well as certain locations in the Midwest and the southern USA, aswell as in Canada. Although most concern has been on corn and soybean, reports of problemsfrom dry beans, cotton, oil-seed rape, sunflowers, winter wheat, and fall planted alfalfa are oftenreceived. Although most problems are in fields located in the original forested areas of easternand southern USA, reports are also being received from the Great Plains’ grass lands of slugissues in irrigated no-till fields. Overall, slug problems have increased in geographical area asgrowers in the USA and Canada have adopted conservation tillage practices. As in other areas ofthe world, determining new methods of slug control is of utmost importance in order to allowgrowers to continue using conservation tillage practices. In areas that are new to slugs, a primaryconcern is educating growers on IPM approaches to slug management.