Golden apple snails destroy spring rice on a large scale

(Baonghean.vn) - Currently, the mountainous district of Anh Son has basically closed the 2017 spring rice crop area. However, the newly planted rice fields are facing widespread damage by golden apple snails.

Officers of the Anh Son District Agricultural Extension Station inspect rice fields damaged by golden apple snails. Photo: Huyen Trang.

Taking us to visit the fields, Ms. Le Thi Huong in Hamlet 6, Phuc Son Commune said: this spring crop, her family planted 2.5 sao of rice, but the rice had not yet taken root when the golden apple snails bit the plants, causing considerable damage. Ms. Huong had to use many measures such as manually catching and spraying pesticides to control this harmful snail.

Golden apple snails cause damage at a density of 1-3 snails/m2, even in some places 6 animals/m2Photo: Huyen Trang.

Mr. Nguyen The Phuong - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Phuc Son commune said: This year's spring crop, the whole Phuc Son commune planted 329 hectares, before Tet, golden apple snails appeared but from the 5th day of Tet, they developed widely, they reproduced and grew very quickly. Up to now, 10 hectares have been damaged by golden apple snails in the Thap Tren area in villages 12, 13; Tich Tich, Cong Chao areas in villages 7, 8; Yen Phuc Vien area in villages 4, 5, 6; Ao Sen area in villages 2 and 3. Currently, the commune is directing people to urgently focus all resources on the fields to destroy golden apple snails to avoid an epidemic.

Currently, the entire Anh Son district has over 34 hectares of spring rice damaged by golden apple snails, concentrated in the communes of Binh Son, Vinh Son, Phuc Son, Khai Son... Photo: Huyen Trang.

This spring crop, the whole Anh Son district planted 3,348 hectares of spring rice, of which 34 hectares were damaged by golden apple snails, concentrated in the communes of Khai Son, Phuc Son, Binh Son, Linh Son, Duc Son, Vinh Son with an average loss of 0.5 snails/m2, in some places from 1-3 snails/m2, in some places locally 6 snails/m2.

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Van, Head of the Plant Cultivation and Plant Protection Station of Anh Son district, recommends: To destroy golden apple snails, people can use many manual methods such as: catching them by hand, digging trenches on both sides to dry the water; leaving cassava and sweet potato scum to lure snails to one place to catch them; in addition, you can put up stakes for golden apple snails to lay eggs and then catch them, or you can use chemical spraying methods to prevent them. People should also actively visit the fields to detect and prevent other pests and diseases to ensure that spring rice grows and develops well.

Huyen Trang