Troublesome Apple Snails: Jeonnam Takes Strong Winter Measures for Complete Eradication

'Deep plowing' is being carried out in a rice paddy in Haksan-myeon, Yeongam, Jeonnam Province to eradicate apple snails. Provided by Jeonnam Province

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Jeonnam Province is launching an all-out campaign to eradicate apple snails during the winter. The aim is to prevent apple snails that survive the winter from damaging young rice seedlings during next year's planting season by blocking their winter survival and thereby reducing their population in advance.

According to Jeonnam Province on November 28, the province will proactively implement measures to prevent apple snail overwintering damage from next month until the end of January next year.

Last year, apple snails overwintered and damaged rice seedlings in 10 cities and counties in Jeonnam, including Haenam and Jindo. The affected area reached 1,593 hectares. Considering that the damaged area in 2020 was only 660 hectares, the situation has become even more serious.

Jeonnam Province is taking advantage of the ecological characteristic that apple snails die when rice paddies are dry or exposed to subzero temperatures. Starting in December, the province will expand the cultivation of overwintering crops in affected areas and advance the timing of deep plowing in rice paddies by more than a month compared to last year, aiming for "100% paddy drying."

The targeted area for deep plowing is 15,943 hectares. The province will focus intensive management on areas where apple snail damage is frequent, such as reclaimed land and low-lying fields.

Jeonnam Province has also designated officials for each town and township and organized joint deep plowing work teams for each complex, reorganizing both administrative and field organizations. In addition, a campaign to advance deep plowing during the winter off-season is being carried out simultaneously.

The monitoring system will also be strengthened. The province, in cooperation with the Jeonnam Agricultural Research and Extension Services, will establish monitoring guidelines and form 22 regional monitoring teams to conduct overwintering surveys in high-risk areas and analyze the effectiveness of deep plowing. There are also plans to provide winter management training in connection with the new year's agricultural technology education.

Kim Youngseok, Director of the Eco-friendly Agriculture Division of Jeonnam Province, emphasized, "The most effective way to prevent overwintering damage from apple snails is thorough paddy drying through deep plowing. In particular, farmers in reclaimed and low-lying agricultural areas should urgently implement overwintering prevention measures."

Meanwhile, on November 26, Jeonnam Province shared measures to minimize apple snail damage and pledged cooperation with about 30 representatives from related organizations and groups at the Provincial Agricultural Research and Extension Services.

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