Snail infestation in betel vine garden

THE GIANT African snail, Achatina fulica infests betel vine gardens. It is a native of east Africa from where it has spread to other parts of the world. The snails are large in size, bisexual, with shell and may weigh about 110-150 gm. The shell is about 7 to 15 cm long and brown in colour. Its infestation is high during the rainy and winter season. They lay eggs during the rainy season, two to four weeks after mating in the soil surface or just below it in batches of up to 200 at a time. They hatch after about a week and the young ones take about nine months to mature. The adults live for three or more years and each can lay about 1000 eggs during its lifetime.

They are found in betel vine gardens by clinging to the lower and protected surface of the leaves of supporting OR shading plants (Halwana, Nugge etc). They feed on sprouted buds, leaves, outer layers of the stem of betel vine and supporting trees. Supporting threads are also damaged. They also feed upon bodies of dead snails of their own species.

The pest can be effectively controlled by:

- The hiding places of the snail can be searched and snails collected and destroyed.

- During the rainy season moist gunny sacks can be heaped near the fences of the cropped areas and the snails that the snails that collect under these can be gathered next morning and killed.

- Among the controlling chemicals metaldyhude is an effective moiluscicide and spread 5 per cent pellets of this compound over the field. It acts as a specific attract ant-toxicant. It is toxic by ingestion and absorption by the foot of the snail.

Javaregowda

Krishi Vigyan

Kendra

Hanumanamatti-581135

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