Metarex Inov gives a quick, effective kill

Elders Horticultural Agronomist Glenn Masterton from Shepparton explains the effectiveness of Metarex Inov in managing snail populations.

Smaller baits are IPM-friendly

"Our growers have used Metarex Inov in kiwis, apples and wine grapes. The low application rate has had fantastic results. There is less active going out per hectare as such which helps with IPM, soil biology and worm activity. But it still has good attractant and good killing ability. The growers are very happy with it."

Over 100 dead snails per square metre

"Metarex Inov gives a quick effective kill. Growers are seeing dead snails in the field. The mortality rate is very high. In pome fruit crops this year we were seeing over 100 dead snails per square metre."

Snails prefer Metarex Inov over tender green shoots

"The attractant is powerful. One grower said he had snails on the actual bag even before he got it out of the shed!

"In the tree crops, once the snails get up into the trees, they are hard to target. They chew the new shoots. Young trees can get very badly damaged and defoliated.

"The beauty with Metarex Inov is that, due to the strong attractant, snails ingest the bait and we're getting very high mortality rates.

"If snails are still in the vines or fruit trees at harvest time, they can potentially contaminate a whole bin or trailer load of harvested product. Metarex Inov has helped our growers get cleaner pest-free harvested crops."

Holds up well under irrigation and rainfall

"In vines and tree crops we've got irrigation. When we don't have rain, we irrigate weekly.

"So we are wetting these baits and they are drying and rewetting. This product's ability to withstand this is a huge benefit.

"I'd say the pellets last around 2-3 weeks under irrigation. So the attractant and the bait keep working over a longer period."

Easy to use

"It's easy and quick to spread. We spread it through the whole floor bed, both the rows and the inter-rows. It worked very well. It goes on at 5 kg per hectare. The 10 kg bag is easy to store and handle on farm and meets OHS standards.

"The palatability and the attractiveness work together. You get a very high kill rate."

Plan ahead and lighten the pest load

"Next year we will look at an autumn application so we can break the snail's life cycle. We want to stop them laying eggs. That way we won't have to manage such a high density of snails come spring. We'll need to get some good monitoring happening too."

This article was compiled by Elders supplier Agnova for Seasons magazine.

Please note: this article contains information of a general nature, and does not take into account your personal objectives, situation or needs. Before acting on any information, you should consider the appropriateness of the information provided, and seek advice on whether it is fit for your circumstances.

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