Efficacious and sustainable slug bait. UPL NZ nailed it with Ironmax Pro.
Getting the best of both worlds
No-one wants slugs. But equally, we don’t want to harm the environment or risk the lives of our dogs and cats. It’s a tricky balance but UPL New Zealand Ltd has nailed it with Ironmax Pro® slug and snail bait, which is both - efficacious and sustainable.
Pieter Van Der Westhuizen, UPL NZ Ltd Regional Manager Upper North Island, says manufacturer De Sangosse took their industry leading Metarex® Inov slug bait and made it environmentally friendly. “You could say it’s been ‘betterised.”
He says the result, Ironmax Pro, treads very gently on the earth without losing anything in terms of potency. “That’s a significant achievement. It’s BioGro certified and offers the best of both worlds.”
IPM-friendly, Ironmax Pro is proven to have limited impact on beneficials including earthworms, and the slug predator carabid beetle. It’s also safer around stock, companion animals, and farm dogs.
Pieter is quick to add that the baby hasn’t been thrown out with the bathwater. “Metarex Inov still has a lot of dedicated advocates. Ironmax Pro is another string to the slug-protection bow, providing an equably viable option for those who choose a more sustainable path.”
He says up-take of Ironmax Pro has been strong, particularly in the Waikato. “Some of the prominent rural contractors and farmers got on board and then the floodgates opened. It’s been really well received.” Pieter says this was during a very challenging season for the region, with elevated slug pressure due to intermittent rain and high humidity. “The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. People have called to say they’ve seen almost instant results.”
Strong sustainability credentials
The De Sangosse sustainability credentials run deep. The high tech De Sangosse factory in France, uses up to 33% green electricity, and achieves a 50% energy saving on lighting, by using natural light and LED's. It is also completely dust free. What is even more remarkable is the fact that the whole factory is run by only nine staff.
"De Sangosse definitely walks the talk – Ironmax Pro even comes in a double lined paper bag which is practical and better for the environment!”
That commitment to the future of the planet is backed by hard science. Ironmax Pro uses Colzactive® technology developed from specially selected oil seed rape molecules. 20 plant species were initially evaluated by scientists and 50 potential molecules identified based on their appeal to slugs. Two extraordinarily attractive and palatable molecules were selected in the end. These facilitate rapid detection by slugs and enhance Ironmax Pro’s taste and how quickly Ironmax Pro works compared to other slug and snail baits.
The research showed slugs actually actively prefer feeding on Ironmax Pro to feeding on seedlings. Pieter adds that it’s a myth that juveniles won’t ingest on the bait. “All slugs and snails can, and will, feed on it!”
Ironmax Pro contains the optimized active ingredient 24.2 g/kg ferric phosphate anhydrous, referred to as IPMax. Iron (ferric) phosphate is a natural component of soil. In Ironmax Pro, it works as a stomach poison on slugs and is fatal once ingested. Slug and snail feeding stops almost immediately.
Pieter says Ironmax Pro is manufactured using a unique wet process, which makes it very rainfast which he says was perfect for the Waikato but would work equally well elsewhere. “Ironmax Pro is ideal for the kind weather that encourages slugs and snails.”
Ferocious feeders
Grey field slugs (Deroceras reticulatum) and their close relation brown field slugs (Deroceras invadens) have the potential to wipe out entire crops. Their mottled colour and night feeding enables them to go largely unnoticed. But their effects don’t.
Travelling up to 13 metres in one night, slugs are phenomenal feeders - capable of consuming more than 50% of their own body weight. Unprotected, damage to plants – especially seedlings - can happen surprisingly quickly. “Infestations can appear seemingly out of the blue. Population explosions are common as the pests are capable of producing 300 eggs in their 13-month lifespan.”
Slugs get off to a fast start, feeding immediately after hatching. They reach sexual maturity at three to nine months of age, beginning as males, then becoming females. Cross-fertilisation is most usual, but self-fertilisation is not unknown.
Keeping soil well cultivated does help with slug and snail control. However, it’s not an absolute solution. Even if ground has been worked thoroughly, nearby areas (around streams, and along fences and hedges) allow slugs to find safe refuge. From there, they can move out to feed on vulnerable plants and seedlings.
Monitoring is paramount
To monitor the slugs’ impact, Pieter advises putting down a slug mat or a damp hessian sack. “Leave it there overnight and check it next morning. Even one slug may signal a problem.” And, for those who don’t have old sacks in the shed – good news. Just ask your local merchant for an Ironmax Pro hessian sack.
Slug populations typically peak in autumn and spring which is when damage is most noticeable. During the colder months, the pests retreat under plant matter or to other sheltered, damp places.
Ironmax Pro has a recommended application rate range of 5 to 7 kg/ha. With 60,000 baits per kilogram, Pieter says the product has excellent ballistic properties. “The uniform pellet size and innovative Ironmax Pro manufacturing process mean bait can be spread at widths of up to 24m.” This saves time, passes, and, importantly, fuel. “All-in-all, that’s a lot of bonuses in one product for users and the environment.”
Read more on Ironmax Pro and Metarex Inov online.
