Susceptibility of field bean cultivars to slug damage

In recent years field bean crops (Vicia faba) have been frequently attacked by slugs. As there are no molluscicides registered for protection of field beans against slugs, alternative anti-slug measures are needed. One of them may be using specific cultivar properties of the plant. The aim of the study was to assess the susceptibility of different field bean cultivars to damage by slugs and to identify the effect of tannin content in plants on the extent of damage. The experiments were performed in the laboratory and in experimental plot conditions on seeds and plants at stages of 3–4 and 5–6 true leaves, which were exposed to Arion vulgaris (Moquin-Tandon) and A. rufus (Linnaeus). The extent of damage was analysed in four cultivars with low seed tannin content and five with high seed tannin content. The extent of damage to the seeds and plants varied depending on the cultivar and the slug species. The plants of the high-tannin Optimal cultivar were less susceptible to damage.