Snulex: A Semiochemical Lure and Phagostimulant Enhanced Novel Bait for Controlling Snails and Slugs

PROJECT SUMMARYTitle: Snulex: A Semiochemical Lure And Phagostimulant Enhanced Bait For Controlling SnailsAnd SlugsPD: Dangsheng Liang Institution: Apex Bait Technologies Inc.The goal of this USDA NIFA phase I project is to develop a semiochemical lure andphagostimulant enhanced bait 'Snulex' for controlling snails and slugs (gastropods). Thisinnovation will significantly improve the efficacy of molluscicide bait by increasing the chance ofinitial discovery of the bait by attracting gastropods and strongly inducing them to ingest lethaldoses of molluscicide. Snails and slugs are destructive pests of horticultural and agriculturalindustries worldwide. Gastropod problems are becoming more significant because of the recentshift towards zero-tillage crops. Current management strategies rely mostly on molluscicide baitproducts. The molluscicide market was worth $711 million in 2021 and is forecasted to reach$900 million by 2026. However there are a number of limiting factors for an effective controlstrategy using current molluscicide bait products. One of the major factors hindering effectivecontrol of gastropods is the lack of a strong attractant lure to draw these pests away from hostplants. This project aims to-A) develop a semiochemical lure by reconstructing the odor fromthese attractive sources B) optimize the ability of the lure and phagostimulant blend tooutcompete with alternative food sources available in the environment C) optimize the efficientdelivery of the lure and phagostimulant blend in the toxic bait. We expect that gastropods willdiscover the proposed enhanced bait significantly faster and consume 3 times more than existingbaits. Our novel lure and phagostimulants will create highly effective technologies whilesimultaneously providing environmentally and economically favorable IPM strategies.