KOCHI: The menace of the giant African snails has residents and farmers in the district in a bind. They are at their wits’end when it comes to dealing with the invasive species that arrived in the state. The species got introduced in Palakkad 25 years ago when a few were brought there for research purpose. However, nobody knew that it would go on to 85 per cent of Kerala by 2019.
“The environmental conditions in the state are very conducive for the species. In the case of Ernakulam, the marshy lands, paddy fields, the myriad drains and canals provide them with good breeding grounds,” said subject matter specialist (Horticulture), Shoji Joy Edison, Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK). According to him, one of the major problems behind the rapid increase and spread of the pest is the absence of any natural predators of the giant African snail.
According to him, some steps can be taken to control or kill these pests.
“One process is the application of salt. All one has to do is dig a hole and line it with wet jute gunny bags. Layer the bags with papaya or cabbage leaves, or fermented coconut water or beer. The smell from the leaves and the fermented coconut water and beer will attract the pests. Once the snails fill the hole, pour salt into the hole. Snails will die. The shells can be crushed and used as manure for coconut trees,” said Shoji.
Another method is to prepare a tobacco decoction using 50 gm of tobacco boiled in 1.5 litres of water. “Reduce the content to one litre and mix it with 60 g copper sulphate dissolved in one-litre water. Spray the solution into the hole lined with the bait once the pests begin feeding on the leaves. The solution will kill them,” he said. The Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Ernakulam, will conduct online training and demonstration on African snail control measures at 10.30am on Tuesday.
“Unlike other pests for which nature has a lot of checks in place may be in the second generation, there are none in the case of these snails,” he said.