‘Slug sleuth’ farmers in England help develop prediction tool to cut back on pesticide use

Slug damage to wheat and oilseed rape crops is estimated to cost almost £44m a year in the UK. Photograph: Sandra Standbridge/Getty

Farmers believe they have a new weapon in their age-old battle against the slugs that destroy their crops: modern technology.

Slug prediction maps, which have been created by computer models as part of a research project, are now helping growers to better target the use of pesticides, saving them money and reducing environmental harm.