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Brandon

Posted 7/1/2015 09:27 (#4655828)
Subject: Slug damage to soybeans

Illinois

I had a severely weakened stand of beans in certain fields. In large, irregular areas it appeared that something had cut the young plant off at or just above the ground level. On other plants, the stems showed lots of scarring, and in some cases I couldn't find any stems or rotted seeds. The worst damage was in a field no-tilled into cereal rye residue. Other damage was in a field that had been continuous corn and had a history of hog manure but got no-tilled to beans this year, and another farm that had damage is continuous no-till but rotated corn/ soybeans.

In the worst field, I had a plane fly on soybeans at 100K population a few days ago in an attempt to thicken up the stand. At that time, me and the local agronomists couldn't determine what caused the damage. Some just blamed poor planting conditions and deer damage. Yesterday I thoroughly scouted the field where we flew on additional beans, and literally every single bean seed had 1-2 slugs feeding on it. I am now convinced this was the problem with our original stand, and I even think they are what "cut" off the emerged plants. Fields are all water-logged and were muddy at planting in mid to late May.

I've never had anything like this happen. Has anyone else seen this problem? My online research shows that tillage or dry soils is really the only cure. Admittedly, when the original damage happened, I was not out in the fields to notice it, or I probably would have seen them feeding then.

Cross Country

Posted 7/1/2015 10:48 (#4655949 - in reply to #4655828)
Subject: RE: Slug damage to soybeans

Ottawa, Ontario

I am fighting the same beast right now. Slugs are really hard to control.

I've managed to knock their numbers back with a combo of slug bait in the worst areas and spraying a 30% uan solution at dusk.

Maple Leaf

Posted 7/1/2015 11:19 (#4655987 - in reply to #4655949)
Subject: RE: Slug damage to soybeans

Slugs are the main reason I quit no till soybeans. One shot with disc ripper in fall and one pass cultivator in spring and I get more even stands and also soil temps increase quicker so plants take off faster.

Mosoildoc

Posted 7/1/2015 11:15 (#4655983 - in reply to #4655828)
Subject: RE: Slug damage to soybeans

Central Florida

A picture of them from a friend in Illinois.

(slugs in soybeans.jpg)

Attachments
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slugs in soybeans.jpg (144KB - 240 downloads)

AR1920

Posted 7/1/2015 12:28 (#4656067 - in reply to #4655828)
Subject: RE: Slug damage to soybeans

NEMO

I found them in our no till fields last night. I was sure we had a better stand a week or two ago but it looked as though the stand was thinning out and that's when I found them. Ill add we have never had a slug problem before this year . Does this mean we will have slug problems from now on ?

tkoppel

Posted 7/1/2015 12:57 (#4656109 - in reply to #4655828)
Subject: RE: Slug damage to soybeans

Sanilac Co. Michigan

Slugs are the enemy! For a number of years it was my biggest challenge in no till. The issue always came up when sowing soybeans into wheat residue. Other people have handled this differently than I do, in fact they really do the opposite so don't take what I suggest as the absolute only answer, OK?

Whether it's wheat or rye residue I have to kill off all volunteer's that come up after harvest, and I have to keep the field "brown" from then on till winter sets in. When I thrash wheat I clip it as high as possible so I don't have a thick mat of residue, I spread it as evenly as possible for the same reason. If the mat is still thick I sometimes make a pass over the field with three to five gallons of 28% to help speed decomposition.

The whole point of this is to discourage slugs from reproducing late that summer/fall by eliminating their food source and making it an inhospitable environment to form burrows/nests for their egg clusters. It also tends to encourage predators like beetles, moles and shrews to feed on the adults and hopefully allow beneficial microorganisms and parasites to damage egg masses and eat the juveniles in the spring.

It's spring juveniles that do the damage I see in my crop. Overseeding more beans only gives them more beans to eat! So, short of either removing all the residue or using tillage my solution has been to stop the problem well before it starts by discouraging their reproduction the prior season. I understand that some farmers in the real slug zone of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and such plant green into a living cover crop with great success. Like I said, my solution is at the opposite extreme.

Don't know for sure, but I think the reason some have problems in corn residue when going to beans could be continuous corn "hiding" the slug issue? They are there but are not apparent until you plant beans into it. Also could be slugs washed in with all the wet/flooded areas this spring?

fhb

Posted 7/1/2015 13:25 (#4656146 - in reply to #4656109)
Subject: RE: Slug damage to soybeans

Eastern Ont

+1. I run a very similar program here as you. I even had some beans on beans this year and the buggers were still bad from bean residue ( which isn't much but they are relentless). This years cooler and wetter start to summer has not helped the cause.

Dave F

Posted 7/1/2015 13:07 (#4656130 - in reply to #4655828)
Subject: RE: Slug damage to soybeans

Southeast MN

Slug issues here forced me to replant most of my beans this spring. I notill beans in a corn bean rotation and the areas with little residue didn't require replant. I didn't run trashwhippers very aggressively this year in an effort to reduce erosion with all the rain and that decision cost me dearly.

Areas where I ran the whippers down hard were damaged but not to the extent of replant, so I believe the in row residue offered enough cover for the buggers to keep feeding and the lack of warm sunny days didn't cause them to dry out or stay underground,

FarmerMB

Posted 7/1/2015 15:24 (#4656253 - in reply to #4656130)
Subject: RE: Slug damage to soybeans

Manitoba

I have zero experience with slugs but I am wondering if a land roller would kill them if done when they are up feeding? Would be a nice way to kill the slugs and level the field at the same time.

tkoppel

Posted 7/1/2015 16:15 (#4656298 - in reply to #4656253)
Subject: RE: Slug damage to soybeans

Sanilac Co. Michigan

Um, no. These spring slugs are quite small, I mean like @ 1/8" . It'd be about like squishing ants with a roller. Might cripple a few but unless old sluggo got caught between the roller and a flat rock I don't think it would do much good.

FarmerMB

Posted 7/1/2015 18:28 (#4656422 - in reply to #4656298)
Subject: RE: Slug damage to soybeans

Manitoba

Ok I didn't realize they were that small. I've been lucky enough to never see one. It's hard to believe there is no chemical control. Hopefully it's being worked on.

neo_ag

Posted 7/1/2015 16:19 (#4656300 - in reply to #4655828)
Subject: RE: Slug damage to soybeans

northeast ohio

OSUE Publication 2014 http://u.osu.edu/wayneipm/files/2015/05/slugs-on-field-crops-OSU-Ex...
research from PSU re slugs and beetles. http://ento.psu.edu/research/labs/john-tooker see Dec 2014 article.

Edited by neo_ag 7/1/2015 16:24

razor6483

Posted 7/1/2015 20:28 (#4656629 - in reply to #4655828)
Subject: RE: Slug damage to soybeans

Have slugs in my corn field... Hoping the corn will start to grow fast and the slugs disappear. They stripped a lot of the leaves.

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