Control of the Invasive Agricultural Pest Pomacea canaliculata with a Novel Molluscicide: Efficacy and Safety to Nontarget Species

The golden apple snail Pomacea canaliculata is an invasive pest that causes extensive damage to agricultural production. P. canaliculata is also an intermediate host of Angiostrongylus cantonensis, which causes human eosinophilic meningitis. In this study, the molluscicidal activity and safety profile of a novel molluscicide PBQ [1-(4-chlorophenyl)-3-(pyridin-3-yl)urea] were evaluated. PBQ exhibited strong molluscicidal potency against adult and juvenile snails (LC50 values of 0.39 and 0.07 mg/L, respectively). In field trials, PBQ killed 99.42% of the snails at 0.25 g a.i./m(2). An acute toxicity test in rats demonstrated that PBQ is a generally nonhazardous chemical. PBQ is also generally safe for nontarget organisms including Brachydanio rerio, Daphnia magna, and Apis mellifera L. Transcriptomics analysis revealed that PBQ had a significant impact on the carbohydrate and lipid metabolism pathways, which provided insights into its molluscicidal mechanism. These results suggest that PBQ could be developed as an effective and safe molluscicide for P. canaliculata control.

Automated summary

The study evaluates the molluscicidal activity and safety profile of a novel molluscicide PBQ against the golden apple snail Pomacea canaliculata. The results show that PBQ effectively kills the snails and is generally safe for non-target organisms. Transcriptomics analysis provides insights into the molluscicidal mechanism of PBQ.