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Friday, December 21, 2018 CapitalPress.com 7 Researcher identifies new weapons against slugs Essential oils, nematodes prove effective against common pest By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI Capital Press Essential oils from thyme and spearmint are prov- ing lethal to crop-damag- ing slugs without the tox- icity to humans, animals or the environment that chemical solutions can present. An added advantage of these oils is the rapid mor- tality they cause in slugs, whereas one of the most common chemical mol- luscicides used by Oregon farmers, iron phosphate, simply causes them to stop feeding, said Rory McDon- nell, Oregon State Universi- ty’s slug specialist. “The oils were essen- tially just as effective as metaldehyde,” another com- Courtesy of Robin Rosetta/OSU New weapons are being discovered in the battle against slugs. mon molluscicide, McDon- nell said during the Oregon Seed League’s annual meet- ing, held in Salem, Ore., on Dec. 10-11. Thyme and spearmint oils achieved 100 percent mortality at a concentration of just 0.25 percent, most likely through direct con- tact with slugs — though it’s possible their volatile emissions could also serve as repellents for the pest, McDonnell said. Because they’re natu- ral compounds, these oils would be exempt from the U.S. Environmental Protec- tion Agency’s registration and residue tolerance reg- ulations for conventional pesticides, he said. Before they could be commercialized as bio- logical pesticides, data would need to be submit- ted to the Oregon Depart- ment of Agriculture proving they’re not toxic to humans or non-target organisms, though this should not be a big obstacle, McDonnell said. “I’ll eat my hat if it’s toxic,” he said. McDonnell was hired by OSU in 2016 after Ore- gon farmers told the uni- versity’s leaders that more research was needed to fight slugs, which have become increasingly destructive in recent years. Another positive devel- opment from McDonnell’s research is the discovery of a nematode that’s natu- rally parasitic to grey field slugs — phasmarhabdi- tis hermaphrodita — on OSU’s campus in Corvallis, Ore. The location if the dis- covery was ironic given that McDonnell had traveled thousands of miles around the state searching for the species, which is native to Europe and used in slug control there. “The darn thing was a stone’s throw from my office,” he said. Since then, McDonnell has discovered two other nematode species in Oregon that show promise as biolog- ical control agents. In the United Kingdom, the phasmarhabditis her- maphrodita nematode is sold as a commercial biope- sticide that’s been shown to reduce slug damage in win- ter wheat by 85 percent, he said. The nematode finds a hole in the back of a slug’s head, then vomits up a bac- terial soup that’s toxic to the gastropod. As the slug’s body decomposes, the nem- atode’s offspring feed on its corpse. The BASF chemical company also markets the nematode in Europe, pro- ducing it in enormous vats through a secret process, McDonnell said. Before the nematode can be commercialized in the U.S., BASF or another pes- ticide manufacturer would need to demonstrate to USDA that it’s not harmful to other species, such as the native banana slug. “I think that would be a major stumbling block,” he said. Trade worries loom over pulse acreage Uncertainty over foreign trade leaves growers up in the air By MATTHEW WEAVER Capital Press Capital Press File Dry beans are sorted at the Treasure Valley Seed Co. production facility in Homedale, Idaho. Growers are worried about continuing trade concerns as they make plans for next year. decline unless trade disputes change. The U.S. has about 2.2 million acres devoted to pulse crops, with roughly inquiries, McGreevy said. “Maybe we’re in early days, but any discussion towards trying to resolve these trade disputes and tar- iffs are positive,” he said. “These tariffs are certainly having an impact, but we do not expect them to last forever.” Domestic sales continue to grow, McGreevy said. “So it’s not all dark- ness,” he said. “We believe very strongly that long- term these crops are going to have increased consump- tion here in the U.S. market as well as overseas.” Populations continue to grow and pulses are the least expensive proteins available for purchase, McGreevy said. He also pointed to new products and the movement towards more plant-based foods. “In periods of uncertainty, which we are in, I think it’s best to stay the course and make sure the cropping systems you have in place — which include pulses in the rotation — are part of your bread basket,” he said. 800,000 acres of peas; 800,000 acres of lentils and 600,000 to 700,000 acres of chickpeas, McGreevy said. 51-2/106 Pulse growers will have to consider low prices and trade barriers as they decide how many acres to plant this spring, the leader of the USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council says. “It would be wonderful to be optimistic and think all the trade disputes are going to be resolved by the time spring planting comes, but that may be a little too opti- mistic,” said Tim McGreevy, council CEO. McGreevy said he expects pulse acres to If growers keep a pulse in their crop rotation, they’ll decide which pulse crop to raise, McGreevy said. Trade tariffs in China and India remain in place, even though there’s been move- ment with the North Amer- ican Free Trade Agree- ment and a recent meeting between President Don- ald Trump and China Presi- dent Xi Jinping, McGreevy said. In spite of the posi- tive discussions, the indus- try hasn’t seen any sales or 49-4-3/HOU
