Study of snail and slug population dynamics in relation to edaphic factors in plant nurseries near Buddha Nullah, Ludhiana (Punjab), India

Abstract

The present study was conducted to study of snail and slug population dynamics in relation to edaphic factors in plant nurseries near Buddha Nullah, Ludhiana (Punjab), India., In the survey of four ornamental plant nurseries viz., Prabhakar, Tulsigaurd, Laxmi plant nurseries near Buddha nullah, Ludhiana and one reference site Punjab Agricultural University nursery, Ludhiana revealed the presence of only one species of both snails and slugs viz., Macrochlamys indica and Filicaulis alteviz. brown slug with black spots respectively in the four plant nurseries. Population density of slugs and snails was maximum in the month of August in all the plant nurseries indicating moisture ranging from 32.36 to 33.5 and temperature ranging from 21.5 to 23.25°C favours the population growth of both slugs and snails. Snail, M. indica and slug, F. alte preferred sandy loamy alkaline soil with high moisture, nitrogen, particle density, high organic matter content, high potassium and phosphorous concentrations, porosity and low bulk density.