Haenam-gun's Winter Rice Snail Control Annual Meeting Draws Attention

Demonstration of Management Tips to Minimize Winter Damage by Wangureongi Snails

Haenam-gun held an annual meeting in the Naesari area of Haenam-eup to effectively manage and control the apple snail. (Photo by Haenam-gun)

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Hyun] Haenam-gun (Governor Myeong Hyun-gwan) is attracting attention by holding a pest control workshop to prevent the increasing damage caused by overwintering golden apple snails.

According to Haenam-gun on the 24th, due to the warm winter weather, a workshop was held on the 23rd in the Naesari area of Haenam-eup to effectively manage and control golden apple snails that survive the winter and damage rice seedlings during the next year's planting season.

The workshop, attended by about 60 people including local farmers practicing apple snail farming, Haenam-gun Governor Myeong Hyun-gwan, officials from the Jeonnam Agricultural Research and Extension Services, and city and county officials, included presentations on the current status and cause analysis of golden apple snail damage, comprehensive management education, and demonstrations of pest control and management techniques.

The area using apple snail farming methods in Haenam-gun is approximately 3,400 hectares, which is highly effective for weed control and is the most actively used eco-friendly weed control method.

However, this winter, the average temperature in Haenam-gun was 4℃, 1.6℃ higher than the normal 2.4℃, causing a rapid increase in the overwintering rate of golden apple snails and resulting in continuous damage to rice seedling fields.

The county has invested a budget of 120 million won this year to provide emergency pesticides, supplied 13,000 seedling trays, and organized an emergency golden apple snail control team to conduct on-site guidance and education focusing on severely affected areas.

For apple snail control, in the first stage before rice planting, pesticide treatment should be applied in advance to irrigation canals around the affected areas, and the number of individuals inhabiting irrigation and drainage canals should be reduced using blocking nets, collection nets, and traps.

During the growing period, collection nets should be installed in drainage canals during the mid-water drainage period, and snails should be lured to the drainage canal surroundings using attractants, then collected and controlled.

During the harvest period, snails should be lured to water channels or ponds near drainage canals before and after harvest, then collected, and deep plowing should be conducted in winter (January to February) to prevent overwintering.

A Haenam-gun official stated, “To reduce the number of overwintering golden apple snails, a systematic management system must be established and pest control carried out in stages before planting, mid-growth, and after harvest,” adding, “We will strive to create a mid- to long-term management system that can fundamentally solve golden apple snail damage and minimize losses.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.