" A Study on the Effects of Rice Hulls on the Leaf Intake of Golden Apple Snails"

This is the title of our research study which we are very busy doing with because of the incoming Sci-Tech Week. The Sci-Tech Week will be this February 19. Based on our data we gathered, we have concluded, that rice hulls are really good for snail management. I will be going to tell you why rice hulls are effective in golden apple snail management.

Golden Apple Snails (GAS), scientifically known as Pomacea canaliculata or Golden “kuhol” in the Philippines is a freshwater gastropod native to South America that was introduced to the Philippines in the 1980’s. The escargot industry, which used GAS as a staple food and as a source of income for the farmers, did not develop much. Because of this, the snails were released and escaped and accidentally went to ricefields.

The GAS imposed harm to farmers because they cause crop destruction to rice and taro crops. They cannot be managed that easily because they reproduce very fast and that they are very voracious eaters. They are considered as the “100 World’s Worst Invaders”.

Overall, there are existing control methods in managing GAS. However, these measures can either hustle the farmers or can even impose danger to the environment like the chemicals for example.

GAS are very sensitive to harsh conditions. When they are exposed to harsh conditions, they secrete mucus- like substance which is their mode of defense. When they excrete mucus, there is a mode of an action of a molluscicide. When they excrete mucus, they become weak because of dehydration and will eventually result to the desiccation of the snail.

One of the things that snails are very sensitive to are materials having rough and abrasive property. That’s why the study focused on the rice hulls as an agent to control these apple snails.

We used rice hulls because of two reasons: 1.) Rice hulls have an abrasive property that results to the excretion of mucus-like substance by the snails and 2.) Rice hulls are waste and contribute to a great garbage problem here in the Philippines. This has caused a big problem to rice millers who end up dumping and burning these wastes.

This study entails the use of rice hulls as an irritant to golden apple snails to discourage them from eating too much of the rice and taro which has been so important to us people.

This study tries to find out effects of rice hulls on the leaf intake of golden apple snails.

Based on the data gathered and the findings, the conclusions were 1.) Rice hulls are effective in lessening the leaf intake of Golden Apple Snails.; 2.) The application of more amount of rice hulls effectively lessen the leaf intake of GAS because rice hull has its abrasive property that discourages the snails from eating too much and; 3.) The rough surface of the rice hull irritated the snail that enables them from secreting mucus which is their defense mechanism from the abrasiveness of the rice hull that eventually weakens them because of dehydration.

The study was successful in identifying rice hull as an agent to control and manage GAS. This research study is very beneficial to rice millers and some farmers throughout the regions. The results of the study may provide the rice millers a better way of disposing these rice hulls. For the farmers, on the other hand, these hulls will serve as a method of managing golden apple snails.

This study recommends that to further lessen the crop destruction caused by the golden apple snails, the farmers are recommended to apply rice hulls to farmlands instead of using chemicals. To make use of rice hulls, the rice millers are recommended to turn these over to farmers. To expand and improve the study, the future researchers are recommended to tackle other variables such as agricultural wastes or even the procedure. This study will provide much needed information in creating such studies.