Adama has launched a new slug pellet which uses the company’s novel molluscicide active ingredient, feralla.
Approved for use on all cereal, vegetable, grass ley and high value broad-field crops, Ferrabait slug pellets contain a formulation of 12 ingredients including high-quality wheat flours and humic acids with 1% w/w feralla (elemental iron), which is toxic to slugs and causes rapid cessation of feeding.
Adama’s product development area manager Catherine Whaley, claims the new active is optimised for both palatability and persistence with its wet processing and two-stage drying technology, Desidro.
It helps iron solubilise in the stomach and the hepatopancreas, this disruption to the digestive system reduces slug movement and deters it from feeding.
Independent trials compared ferella to leading ferric phosphate standards. All pellets were applied at a rate of 7kg/ha, all proved effective but an advantage with ferella is its speed. “We don’t see the lag we see with other pellets,” she notes. “We see slug knockdown as quick as 48 hours,” says Catherine.
Tests also showed that less than a single pellet could deliver a lethal dose to an adult slug. “With Ferrabait, a slug doesn’t need to locate a second pellet,” she adds.
To test prolonged pellet efficacy, weathering tests simulated 4mm of rain for ten consecutive days. Ferella pellets remained intact with no signs of mould. “With ferric phosphate, from day six or seven we saw moulding, with Ferrabait it’s negligible.” Similar results were seen when irrigation was increased to 10 and 15 mm per day.
Catherine also assures growers can expect the same spreading ballistics as leading ferric phosphate options. “Ferrabait is manufactured to the same rigid processing specifications as our Gusto Iron pellets with uniform size, shape, weight, consistency and colour.
“At a size of 2.5mm by 2.1mm, pellets spread accurately to wide operating widths and provide the optimal number of baiting points (40-50 pellets per m2) when applied at typical field rates. Ferrabait pellets are also certified for use with a wide range of the most commonly used applicators.”
