Tuesday 17 May
7.30pm at: Café Français, 711 Victoria Street (formerly BBC Café)
Mike Wilson from AgResearch in Hamilton will speak about everyone’s favourite animal, the slug. If we’re really (un)lucky, he might bring some props along…
They’re slimy, they’re widespread and every year they cause millions of dollars of damage to crops throughout the world. Why are slugs so successful? One reason is that they are extreme generalists in terms of what they eat. Gardeners know that slugs damage a wide range of flower and vegetables. Commercial growers of lettuce, strawberry, peas, potatoes, wheat and oilseed crops to name but a few, also suffer from slug problems. In this Café Scientifique, Mike Wilson will give an overview of the unique biology of these animals that enables them to become crop pests, will try to give reasons for why they have become more important over the last few decades. A range of methods for controlling slugs and snails will also be discussed ranging from the use of simple barriers, through to state of the art biotechnology. Join us to learn more about everyone’s favourite animal.
For more information about Café Scientifique, contact Marcus Wilson, m.wilson@waikato.ac.nz
