In Anh Son, 40 hectares of summer-autumn rice fields are infested with golden apple snails.

(Baonghean.vn) - At this time, the caseIn Anh Son district, 2,700 out of 2,900 hectares of rice have been planted during the 2017 summer-autumn crop season. The early crop is currently in the tillering stage; however, golden apple snails have appeared and are causing damage in many rice fields.

Currently, Anh Son district has 40 hectares of rice fields infested with golden apple snails, of which 10 hectares are severely infested, concentrated in Binh Son, Khai Son, and Phuc Son communes. The snail density is high in some areas, ranging from 3-5 snails/m2, and locally reaching 15-20 snails/m2. Golden apple snails tend to congregate in high densities in waterlogged areas, near ponds and low-lying areas.

Locals collect golden apple snail eggs from summer-autumn rice fields. Photo: Huyen Trang

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Van, Head of the Anh Son District Plant Cultivation and Protection Station, advises that to prevent the widespread infestation of golden apple snails that can harm summer-autumn rice production, farmers should catch the snails and collect their egg clusters for destruction.

Manual methods can be used, such as: using bundles of sweet potato leaves, taro leaves, papaya leaves, or jackfruit fibers tied together and dropped along the banks to attract snails for easy collection. Sticks or stakes can be used as supports for snails to climb and lay eggs, which can then be collected. A 20cm deep trench can be dug around and within the field to drain water, gradually drawing the snails into the trench for easy collection or pesticide application.

People are busy collecting golden apple snails to dispose of them. Photo: Huyen Trang

Place bamboo or reed nets or screens in drainage ditches to prevent snail spread and facilitate collection. These nets should be placed early in the season until harvest. Alternatively, farmers can use chemical methods such as spraying with Padan 95SP, VT-DAX 700WP, or Dioto 830WDG according to recommended dosages.

Note that when spraying, the rice plants will grow tallest if the water level is 3-5 cm; if the water level is low, the effectiveness will be low, and water should be maintained for another 2-3 days.

Huyen Trang