1: Soil preparation:
Ploughing brings slug eggs to the surface and lead to the destruction of many of them (drying)
Good seed bed preparation, fine tilth limit slug movements onto and within the soil. It also limits the amount of clods which act as shelters for slugs to hide under.
2: Destroy volunteers:
Destroying volunteers limits the amounts of food available to slugs between crops and therefore renders slug survival more difficult.
3: Choose good inter/ previous crop:
We all know that slugs favour some crops such as oil seed rape. The ch of the previous crop and of the intercrop will have an effect on the potential populations present in the following crop.
4: Favour residues decomposition / humification:
Again, anything that will limit food availability to slug between crops will limit slug ability to survive.
5: Roll the soil to limit slug movements and limit the number of hidding places
6: Drilling depth is also very important to limit slug access to the seeds.
This is very important where soils are rich in clay and where making a fine closed seed bed is difficult.
7: Drilling date has an effect on the timing of crop emergence.
Timing emergence early will allow the crop to grow away before slug activity reaches its peak.
Trapping is always useful when undecided