Weed Control by Young Golden Apple Snail (Pomacea canaliculata) in Environmentfriendly No-tillage Machine Transplanting Rice Paddy Fields

Jong-Hee  Shin1,*   Chae-Min  Han1   Sang-Kuk  Kim2   Jung-Bae  Kwon1   Jong-Su  Kim1   

1Division of Crop Research, Gyeongsangbuk-do Provincial Agricultural Research and Extension Services, Daegu 41404, Korea
2Bioresources Research Institute, Andong 36614, Korea

Abstract

Weed management under organic farming systems is very problematic since organic agriculture does not allow synthetic herbicides. We investigated the influence of the input time of young golden apple snail (GAS, Pomacea canaliculata) on the weed control to suggest and introduce this environment-friendly weed management technique in no-tillage rice cultivation. This experiment was conducted in environment-friendly no-tillage rice paddy field in Yecheon, Gyeongsangbuk-do. The objective of this research was the method for weed management through the study on the effect of weed control by input time (applied at 21, 14, 7 and 0 days before rice transplanting) of young GAS (15 kg·ha-1). The effectiveness of weed control as affected by GAS when applied at 21, 10, 7, and 0 days before transplanting (DBT) was 91, 90, 80, and 65%, respectively. The young GAS, when applied 21-7 days before transplanting at 15 kg·ha-1 (approximately 7,500 ea) provided 100% control of Scirpus juncoides, Persicaria hydropiper, Lindernia dubia, Aneilema japonica, and Monochoria vaginalis. The variations in the input time of GAS caused significant differences in the harvested yield, but no significant differences were found in the plant height, tiller number, ripening and grain weight. Approximately 4,340-4,600 kg·ha-1 of the rice yield obtained through the utilization of apple snails 21-7 days before transplanting. These data indicate that the application of young GAS before transplanting is an efficient method for weed management in environment-friendly no-tillage rice paddy fields.

Figures & Tables

Fig. 1. Rice plants of 30 days after transplanting in no-tillage paddy field with golden apple snails.