Kick over a rock or log in the paddock and there’s a chance you’ll find slugs underneath – a legacy of the warm and damp conditions in south-eastern Australia produced through three years of above-average rainfall followed by a wet summer.
Vigilance is critical in minimising crop damage, but a small machine from Europe could also help.
Manufactured in Austria, the APV Multi-Metering System MDD 100 single-disc bait spreader flings slug pellets and mouse baits across large working widths and can also be used for spreading various catch crops.
Ballarat-based distributor OzValue Ag received a shipment of 60 units last month, to be shared between the company‘s stores in Wagga Wagga, Rochester and Western Australia.
Sales manager Mitch Blackmore said that while APV equipment had been available in Australia for many years, the MDD 100 was a more recent arrival.
“We mostly import their small pneumatic air seeders in models from 300 to 1600 litres, but the bait spreader is going to be of much more interest this year with the slug and mouse pressure we’ve been seeing – particularly slugs,” he said.
“The key advantage of APV’s product over others’ gravity-feed systems lies in its metering roller and rate controller for highly accurate bait distribution.
“In addition, the spinner’s speed and vanes are adjustable, so we’ve worked air seeders at nine, 12 and 18 metres.
“The MDD 100 can be mounted on the back of your air seeder as a rate controller, but, for subsequent applications, can be fixed to an ATV or ute with a tested accuracy of 28 metres.
“It has a peak capacity of 100 litres of product, but we are doing development work this year on a 250-litre hopper with the same base, running trials with six units this season.
“Most major European manufacturers of equipment such as speed discs and rotary hoes use APV as their preferred supplier of these spreaders and paint them in their own colours.
“They really are the premium brand in the world for small seeders and bait spreaders.”
The unit’s maximum spread rate for slug pellets is around 5 kg/minute, with working width and spread rate adjustable from the driver’s seat.
The spreaders are priced at $7480 (inc. GST).