Some 40 million tonnes of sunflower seed is produced worldwide annually. Sunflower oil is a much-valued foodstuff and has a wide range of uses.
Sunflowers are highly susceptible to slug damage in their seedling form. The period from drilling until one pair of true leaves is when the crop is at its most vulnerable.
All the common species of slugs and snails can damage sunflower crops. In some countries, recently arrived invasive species (such as the Spanish slug in Europe) have proved even more damaging.
The risk of slug attack and damage can be minimised by deploying cultural control methods. These should be employed before the use of slug pellets.
It is important to treat fields at risk early as young seedlings can rarely recover from slug damage. Therefore applications at sowing or at emergence are likely to be the most effective
To determine the need for AXCELA® application, survey the fields prior to planting and consider the use of traps to assess slug populations. A single application after sowing should deliver good slug control through the critical period.
Continue to monitor the crop after application and make follow-up applications if required.