A Review—On Molluscs as an Agricultural Pest and Their Control

Abstract

Snails and slugs are very harmful pests for crops, vegetables, fruit, ornamental plants, and ecosystem. These creatures are known for destructive nature on cultivated plants. Several species of molluscs such as Achatina fulicva, Laevicaulisalte, Helix aspersa, Theba pisana, Arianta arbustorum, Deroceras, Tandonia, Milax, Arion, Limax, Argiolimax metriculatus, Lehmanniopoirieri, Limacusflavus, Milaxgagates, etc., are the pest which have distractive nature and cause impact on agricultural industries. Therefore, the need for sustainable approaches to control molluscs will become ever-more important. Molluscs’ damages are characterizing by holes and slimy on damage part of the crops and vegetables. Snails and slugs both have similar biologies. They lay eggs during mid-autumn to mid-winter, when favorable moist conditions return after summer. After mating, these lay eggs within two to four week, spherical pearl-white eggs at moist place. After eggs laying its hatch in two to four weeks, but young snails and slugs usually become sexually mature after one year. However, population of molluscs increases accordingly climatic conditions and damage the crops. Populations of the molluscs can be control by uses of different tools and technique such as physical control, chemical control, biological control, bait formulations and by help of different plant derived molluscicides. This review of literatures tries to integrated information on various agricultural pests (molluscs) and their control.