Contact efficacy of different wood ashes against Spanish slug, Arion vulgaris (Gastropoda: Arionidae)

Laznik, Žiga (author), Majić, Ivana (author), Horvat, Aleksander (author), Trdan, Stanislav (author)

The wood ash from seven plant species (sessile oak, European beech, European hornbeam, silver fir, European spruce, common alder, and Spanish chestnut) was tested against Spanish slug (Arion vulgaris) as an environmentally acceptable alternative to chemical bait pellets. We carried out laboratory and semi-field experiments to assess the contact and barrier efficacy of selected wood ash. To demonstrate the contact efficacy, slugs were rolled in the wood ash. Geochemical analysis of wood ash was carried out as well. The highest concentrations of chemical compounds SiO$_2$, Al$_2$O$_3$, Fe$_2$O$_3$, MgO and MnO and elements Ba, Co, Cs, Ga, Cu, Pb and Zn were identified in the most effective ashes (beech, oak, fir, and spruce) compared to the ineffective ashes (hornbeam, chestnut, black ader). The concentration of cobalt was comparably higher, while the concentration of molybdenum was comparably lower in the four most effective wood ashes. The results of our studies revealed that the wood ash of oak and spruce have great contact efficacy. The oak and beech wood ash showed the strongest barrier efficacy against slugs. In the semi-field trials, only 10% of the plants treated with oak wood ash were damaged by slugs. The oak wood ash is an efficient alternative for slug control, however, further studies and biotechnical enhancement are needed.

• Language: English
• Keywords: Spanish slug, wood ash, slug control
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2020
• Number of pages: 13 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 10, iss. 23, art. 8564
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-134723
• UDC: 632
• ISSN on article: 2076-3417
• DOI: 10.3390/app10238564
• COBISS.SI-ID: 40342275
• Publication date in RUL: 27.01.2022

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Applied sciences
• Shortened title: Appl. sci.
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 2076-3417
• COBISS.SI-ID: 522979353

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.
• Licensing start date: 01.12.2020

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: biotično varstvo, polži, lesni pepel, Arion vulgaris, učinkovitost, zatiranje škodljivcev

Projects

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P4-0013
• Name: Hortikultura