Dose rates
Machinery Settings
Guidelines
Integrated Control

...An appeal to farmers to take metaldehyde stewardship seriously has been made, as Defra, the Environment Agency and the water companies make clear their recognition of its importance to agriculture. ...
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...The water companies invited closer collaboration with farmers at Cereals 2014...
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...The UK’s water companies have joined forces to host a stand for the first time at the country’s leading technical arable event, Cereals. They are supported by the Metaldehyde Stewardship Group ...
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...An industry-wide collaborative initiative is assessing whether field-by-field targeting could be the answer to securing the longer-term availability of metaldehyde-based slug pellets....
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...The Metaldehyde Stewardship Group’s targeted approach to the stewardship challenge ...
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...Letters issued to farmers - Sept 2013...
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...The role of drain flow as the primary means of pesticides reaching watercourses was highlighted at a recent ‘Pesticides and Water Protection’ meeting hosted by Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) and the Voluntary Initiative (VI) in the West Midlands....
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...The Metaldehyde Stewardship Group (MSG) is pre-empting the autumn slug season with the message to ‘kill slugs, not metaldehyde’...
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...Growers and operators are being reminded that metaldehyde based slug pellets applied to spring-sown crops will count towards the maximum calendar year dose allowance....
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...The Metaldehyde Stewardship Group (MSG) has again stepped-up the message to take extreme care with applications of metaldehyde slug pellets...
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...Extreme slug pressure and continuing wet conditions means maintaining metaldehyde stewardship ...
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...Restriction period for metaldehyde begins...
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...Metaldehyde stewardship measures face first real test...
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...NEW slug pellet stewardship literature launched...
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...Wet weather heightens slug risk in potato crops ...
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...Are you prepared for higher slug pressure? ...
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...Slug pellet machinery settings poster now available...
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...Attention needed as metaldehyde restriction period begins...
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...Spread, bout and dose are top 3 for Pelleting Precision ...
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...Pelleting precision lessons to learn at Cereals 2011...

The metaldehyde issue

'Get Pelletwise' is the campaign of the Metaldehyde Stewardship Group (MSG). Metaldehyde is the active ingredient contained within slug pellets that are used by the majority of UK farmers to control the pest.

In autumn 2012 metaldehyde was widely detected - in raw water - well above the drinking water standard, with peaks following rainfall. It was an exceptional season, due to high slug pressure causing a related increase in the use of slug pellets. It illustrates the importance of stewardship measures.

Whilst levels detected pose no danger to health* or the environment**, the UK’s environment agencies and DEFRA are responsible for the implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD). Metaldehyde exceedances must be avoided to allow water companies to meet their obligations and ensure they are not challenged with diverting supplies, or temporarily switching off water supply.

The MSG's aim is to promote and encourage best practice with metaldehyde slug pellets, to minimise environmental impacts, and, in particular, protect water. The Group is working with the farming industry to prevent the problem recurring.

The Group is working with the farming, water and environment industries to prevent the problem recurring, and this includes the introduction of two new pilot schemes.

Please get in touch to request brochures and other campaign resources.

Source: *Water UK and **Environment Agency

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