The Invasive Apple Snail (Pomacea Spp) in Indonesia

Agriculture for Development, 35 (2018) Article 5

The invasive apple snail (Pomacea spp) in Indonesia

Ristiyanti M Marwoto, Nur Rohmatin Isnaningsih and Ravindra C Joshi

Ristiyanti Marsetiyowati Marwoto is currently senior staff at the Research Center for Biology, Indonesia Institute of Sciences (LIPI). She has been Head of the Laboratory of Malacology of the Museum Zoologicum Bogoriense (MZB), Bogor, West Java, Indonesia since 1997, specialising in freshwater gastropods and bivalves from Indonesia. [email protected], [email protected]

Nur Rohmatin Isnaningsih is a junior researcher at LIPI, member of MZB since 2006, Master of Conservation Biology, editorial assistant of Fauna Indonesia bulletin, and study- ing freshwater gastropods. [email protected]

Ravindra C Joshi is currently TAA Pacific Coordinator; Sustainable Agriculture, Food, and Energy (SAFE) Network Pacific Resident Coordinator; Technical Advisor on golden apple snail to DELTAMED (Asociación de Deltas del Mediterráneo); SAFE-Network Pacific Islands Coordinator; Associate CABI-SEA, Malaysia; and Visiting Adjunct Pro- fessor at the University of the South Pacific, Fiji. [email protected], [email protected]

Introduction in ponds. It is locally known as keong mas, keong murbei, siput murbai (Marwoto, 1988; The freshwater snail Pomacea canaliculata Hendarsih-Suharto, 2002). After more than 25 Lamarck (non-native apple snail) has been years, the snail has spread widely and is now reported as a serious pest causing damage to abundant in many habitats in marshes, ponds, crops, predominantly wetland rice in Asia. Its irrigation canals, lakes and rice fields in almost damage to rice in Malaysia, the Philippines, all parts of Indonesia (Hendarsih-Suharto et al. Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia and other countries 2006; Marwoto & Isnaningsih, 2014; Hamidah, has been reported (Joshi & Sebastian, 2006; 2015). Marwoto & Isnaningsih (2014) reported CABI, 2014). Pomacea canaliculata is endemic that there are four species of Pomacea found in to South America. It is one of the world’s 100 Indonesia. Of the four, P. canaliculata has the worst invasive alien species (GISD, 2017). widest distribution based on the collections of Its invasiveness is related to its inherent the Museum Zoologicum Bogoriense, Research characteristics: high reproductive rate, Center for Biology (MZB). It is a dangerous pest, adaptability to harsh environmental conditions, especially on young rice plantations (Isnaningsih ability to invade diverse habitats through & Marwoto, 2011). multiple pathways, a wide host range and In December 2016, Indonesian newspaper voracious appetite, and an ability to compete Kompas reported that tens of hectares of rice fields with native snails and other native fauna (Joshi in Kabupaten Lebak in Banten, West Java had et al, 2017). been destroyed by Pomacea (Kompas.com, 2016). Once known as golden apple snail, Pomacea This also happened in January 2017 to the rice canaliculata was introduced to Indonesia around fields in Banjar (PikiranRakyat, 2017). It seems 1986 as an aquarium decoration, but became an that many efforts to reduce the population of invasive species after a few months of breeding Pomacea spp and to arrest its dispersal were not

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successful. The farmers still face the problem of explained that morphology alone cannot reliably reducing crop damage caused by this exotic pest. verify the species’ identity, and that genomic According to the Central Bureau of Statistics approach should be applied to confirmPomacea in Indonesia, average rice productivity in the species. According to Kyle et al. (2014), the country was 53.39 q/ha (5.339 t/ha) in 2015 with egg clutches of P. canaliculata and P. maculata a total of about 8,112,103 ha of rice consisting differ. They conclude that P. maculata clutches of irrigated wetland and non-irrigated fields. possess significantly greater width, more mass With its high rice consumption of 34 million and number of eggs compared with those of tons in 2011, Indonesia is faced with the serious P. canaliculata. problems of both quantity and quality of rice, which is tending to decrease every year. In 2012, Chumsun & Muhfahroyin presented data on rice field infestation by this Pomacea spp in Indonesia: about 15 ha in 2006 and increased to about 22 ha in 2007. Many strategies for eradicating this invasive snail have been tried, but no single method has been found effective. Studies have also been conducted on its biology and management to determine what could prevent its spread and invasiveness. Farmers still face many problems in controlling this snail. According to Basri (2010), one single adult P. canaliculata can destroy a one-day-old paddy seedling in 3-5 minutes. Two-week-old seedlings are the vulnerable age for this snail, with 73 percent destroyed within 48 hours (Mustar, 2015). Many government and private institutions published information for handling and controlling the population of Pomacea, including Dinas Pertanian Peternakan Kelautan Figure 1. Shell variation of Pomacea canaliculata dan Perikanan Kabupaten Purworejo in Central (Photo: Eka; Layout: NR Isnaningsih) Java, which published guidelines for destroying the snail. The literature evaluates the knowledge on Pomacea spp, the variation of their shells and their distribution, as well as farmers’ efforts to control it.

Taxonomic studies and distribution

The taxonomic studies are mainly based on morphological characteristics (Marwoto, 1997; Isnaningsih & Marwoto, 2011). They conclude that there are many variations in size, shell colour, and shape of the spire and its aperture shape that can be used to separate the four species – P. canaliculata, P. maculata Perry (P. insularum (D’Orbigny)), P. scalaris (D’Orbigny) and P. paludosa (Say) – that invaded the farms of Figure 2. Shell variation of Pomacea insularum (Photo: Indonesia (Figures 1-3). Rama Rao et al. (2017) NR Isnaningsih & RM Marwoto)

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to close it and hibernate in the deepest substrate for months until the rainy season might be the snail’s mechanism to survive and reach adult size. In most cases, the dead snail is upside down with the aperture at the surface, making it easier for predators such as birds to bite the snail.

Figure 3. The shells of Pomacea scalaris (Photo: NR Is- naningsih & RM Marwoto)

Marwoto (1988) explained a prominent characteristic to distinguish Pomacea from the native Pila. Pomacea has a deep canal in the Figure 5. Distribution of Pomacea canaliculata in In- sutures, a wide-open columella and thin shell. The donesia based on the collection of MZB (red dots) and easiest way to distinguish them, however, is the references (yellow dots) (Composition: NR Isnaningsih colour of the egg clusters: pink for Pomacea and & RM Marwoto) white for Pila scutata (Housson) (Figure 4). In South Sulawesi, P. canaliculata has also survived and succeeded in adapting to marshy areas when the salinity increases in the dry season (Marwoto, 2005). The shells are smaller than those from Kalimantan, and bright yellow without any brown bands. They have smaller shells and fewer eggs compared with snails living in freshwater marshes. They lay their eggs on the barks of Nipa palm (Nypa fruticans Wurmb) and the snails crawl into the shallow water. In August 2017, additional data were received, including specimens of P. canaliculata from Tanah Miring and Merauke South Papua. This species was also recorded in Lake Towuti, South Figure 4. Rice field, habitat, and egg masses of Pila scu- Sulawesi in May 2017. Its occurrence in these tata, Sumber Maron, Desa Karang Suko, Gondanglegi, places may threaten the endemic snail of the lake Malang, East Java (Photo: RM Marwoto) if it spreads widely.

The distribution of P. canaliculata in Indonesia has been presented by Isnaningsih & Marwoto Monitoring (2011) (Figure 5). During the dry season in East Kalimantan, many dead Pomacea were found in Monitoring was done on freshwater snails the dry lakes Loa Kang and Balikpapan. The shell including invasive snails in 2009, 2010, 2011 and sizes of the dead snails (89 mm long, 65 mm wide) 2016 in Java and Kalimantan (Marwoto, 2009; showed that they had survived more than one year Isnaningsih & Marwoto, 2011, Marwoto & in the dry season before they were trapped and Isnaningsih, 2014, Marwoto & Mujiono, 2014): died in the mud that dried (Marwoto, 2004). The P. canaliculata occurred abundantly not only in rice shells were greenish brown or dark brown. The fields but also in marshes, small lakes and ponds snail’s somewhat thick operculum and its ability (Figures 6-7). The distribution of this snail in

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Indonesia was mapped by Isnaningsih & Marwoto Ecology (2011), and will be monitored in the future. Based on data of freshwater snail monitoring in Java, P. canaliculata is found to be ‘everywhere’, not only in rice fields, irrigation canals, ponds and marshes, but even in small and shallow mud-holes. During the dry season, the snails hide in mud or under water plants such as the water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms). Marwoto & Isnaningsih (2014) state that P. canaliculata occurred in 9 of 13 situ (small lakes/ponds) in Ciliwung River Current and in 5 of 23 situ at Cisadane River Current and in the big lake in Towuti (Marwoto & Isnaningsih, personal observations); Tamblingan and Bratan in Bali (Suartini, 2005); Lake Kerinci in Jambi (Hamidah, 2015; Lake Semayang and Balikpapan in East Kalimantan (Marwoto, 2004); and ponds in Tau Lumbis village, Nunukan, East Kalimantan (Marwoto & Mujiono, 2014). Usually, the snails live in the shallow water of the lakeshore. When the lake suddenly dries, as happened in Lake Balikpapan and Semayang, they are trapped in the dry mud and die. Snail-infested fields were Figure 6. Eggs of Pomacea spp in an irrigation canal, most prevalent in West Java where the larger Irigasi Lodangun (Photo: RM Marwoto) lowland rice areas occur. In a big pond (Kolam Gunting) in Bogor Botanical Garden, P. canaliculata attach their pink egg capsules to the stems of water plants and the snails usually crawl to the surface of the muddy substrate or attach themselves to the roots of the water plants. Oviposition can begin one day after copulation which generally occurs at night. One female can produce 200-300 eggs per week up to 8,000 eggs per year. Eggs are laid out of the water, approximately 20 cm above the waterline, on any object such as rice plants, weeds, concrete retaining walls lining canals, or stakes. Egg clusters consist of 84-400 eggs in aquaria and more than 700 eggs in ponds (Marwoto, 1988). The eggs are round, reddish and 1.5-2.0 mm in diameter. Pomacea canaliculata is found in the same habitat as the native/local ampullarid Pila ampullacea (L.). It is still not clear why P. canaliculata only occupied the big ponds (Kolam Gunting) at the rear of Bogor Palace, where the water is more stagnant. Fortunately, Pomacea has not yet invaded the other ponds (four connected smaller Figure 7. Eggs of Pomacea spp on banana leaves and ponds near the mosque) and the three connected its marshy habitat, near River Campur Darat, Tulunga- ponds near the Ciliwung River that flows across gung, East Java (Photo: RM Marwoto) the Botanical Garden.

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Population control of Pomacea spp using rice varieties that have rapid elongation after seedling establishment, tending ducks in Various studies and cultural methods of control rice fields, and using the snails as raw material to have been tried in Indonesia, in cooperation produce fertilisers (Pudjianto, 2015). However, with the local government and the association of most of these methods are not practised by farmers groups named Kelompok Tani. Guidelines farmers because they are labour-intensive, time- published by the Agricultural Department that consuming, not sustainable and at times not include direct-seeding with dry or wet methods economical or easy to do. Thus, most farmers were followed. resort to the use of synthetic molluscicides for the control of snails in many snail-invaded countries. The summary of selected plants tested in Indonesia In Indonesia, there are 55 commercial brands against Pomacea spp as botanical molluscicides of molluscicides in various formulations with are reviewed. Musman et al. (2012) examined the four kinds of active ingredients: niclosamide, selectivity of ethyl acetate seed extracts of the sea metaldehyde, fentin acetate and saponins (see poison tree (Putat Air, Putat sungai) (Barringtonia Table 1). The use of an organotin compound such racemosa (L.) Spreng.) against P. canaliculata. as fentin acetate, which is actually a fungicide, is They found that the lethal dose for 50 percent already banned in most countries against snails mortality (LC50) for P. canaliculata is 25 parts per because of its extreme toxicity and its adverse million (ppm). Highest mortality (100 percent) is at effects on wet-seeded rice, Pistia stratiotes, Azolla 400 ppm. However, this dosage affects the walking pinnata and other non-target organisms. We catfish (Lele) (Clarias batrachus L.). Chumsun conclude that more research for development & Muhfahroyin (2012) studied the molluscicidal efforts are needed to discover new plant-based effects of the fruits of the Indian Mulberry molluscicide formulations that are effective (Mengkudu) (Morinda citrifolia L.) to control against Pomacea spp at low concentrations, P. canaliculata. They found that 100 g/l of the fruit but are safe to non-target organisms, aquatic was most effective causing 100 percent mortality of ecosystems, and farmers’ health; commercially juvenile Pomacea spp. Extracts of rotenone from the readily available; easy to apply; and affordable to roots of the poison vine (tuba root) (Derris eliptica smallholders. In addition, the effects of changing (Roxb.) Benth) was highly toxic to P. canaliculata climate on Pomacea spp invasions, spread to new but had no ovicidal properties (Kardinan & areas, and potential modifications/refinements on Iskandar, 1997). In addition, its use for snail integrated rice crop management to avoid yield control is limited because of its extreme toxicity decline are urgently needed. to fish. Leaf extract of sambong (Capa, sembung utan) (Blumea balsamifera (L.) DC.) was effective against Pomacea spp juveniles, but not on larger or older snails. Application in the field of a small dose actually caused more plant damage because it made the snails feed more. Tobacco (Tembakau, Tabako) (Nicotiana tabacum L.) was toxic under greenhouse conditions but was not effective on field experiments (Hendarsih-Suharto et al, 2004). Other botanical pesticides were tested but not found effective. In Indonesia, just like in other countries invaded with Pomacea spp, use of integrated management approaches has been recommended, such as manual collection of snails (Figure 8), using attractant leaves, putting bamboo stakes in some parts of the rice fields for snail adults to lay Figure 8. Dead shells of Pomacea canaliculata in a their eggs and to ease manual egg destruction, small ditch at the rice field area in Kedungsongo village, maintaining shallow depth of water (2-3 cm) after Rawapening, central Java, during the dry season (Photo: planting to avoid snail movements and feeding, RM Marwoto)

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Table 1. Registered and permitted molluscicides against Niclosan 250 EC Niclosamide 250 g/l invasive apple snails Pomacea spp by the Department of Niclostop Plus 70 WP Niclosamide 70% Agriculture and Forestry in Indonesia Niklovap 70 WP Niclosamide 70% Brand name Active ingredient (a.i.) Nokeong 10 GR Metaldehyde 10% Abojo 60 WP Fentin acetate 60% Pentas 75 WP Fentin acetate 75% Alligro 95 WP Metaldehyde 95% Raja Keong Mas 9 GR Saponin 9% Anti Keong 65 WP Fentin acetate 65% Rattan 60 WP Fentin acetate 60% Astana 85 WP Fentin acetate 85% Romero 50 WP Niclosamide Basten 45 WP Fentin acetate 45% ethanolamine 50% Bayluscide 250 EC Niclosamide 250 g/l Rostox 5,5 GR Metaldehyde 5.5% Bensida 70 WP Niclosamide 70% Seldene 250 EC Niclosamide 250 g/l Bentan 45 WP Fentin acetate 45% Senao 260 SC Niclosamide ethanolamine 250 g/l, Bentan 60 WP Fentin acetate 60% metaldehyde 10 g/l Benzo 60 WP Fentin acetate 60% Slugone 300 EC Niclosamide 300 g/l Beslosan 250 EC Niclosamide 250 g/l Snaildown 250 EC Niclosamide 250 g/l Bestnoid 60 WP Fentin acetate 60% STM 9 GR Saponin 9% Bresstan 45 WP Fentin acetate 45% Swimtop 12 GR Saponin 12% Criptan 250 EC Niclosamide 250 g/l Tambistan Snail 50 WP Fentin acetate 50% Debesttan Plus 60 WP Fentin acetate 60% Trebaz 70 WP Niclosamide 70% Double Fish 15 GR Saponin 15% TSM 9 GR Saponin 9% Experia 70 WP Niclosamide 70% Tuntas Keong 15 WP Saponin 15% Falcon 250 EC Niclosamide 250 g/l Unishield 250 EC Niclosamide 250 g/l Fatal 250 EC Niclosamide 250 g/l Vallio 45 WP Fentin acetate 45% Instal 5 GR Metaldehyde 5% Vallio 60 WP Fentin acetate 60% Instans 60 WP Fentin acetate 60% Source: Direktorat Pupuk dan Pestisida, Dirjen Prasa- Intan 60 WP Fentin acetate 60% rana dan Sarana Pertanian (2016). Karissnail 6 PL Metaldehyde Kensida 500 SC Niclosamide 500 g/l References Keongtox 250 EC Niclosamide 250 g/l Basri AB, 2010. Pengendalian Dan Pemanfaatan Kresnacid 250 EC Niclosamide 250 g/l Keong Mas. Seri Inovasi Pembangunan. Serambi Pertanian, 4(08). Kresnoid 60 WP Fentin acetate 60% CABI, 2014. Pomacea canaliculata (golden apple snail). Metadex 15 GR Metaldehyde 15% In: Invasive species compendium. Datasheets, maps, Mitrans 45 Fentin acetate 45% images, abstracts and full text on invasive species of the world. [http://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/68490]. Mitrans Plus 45 WP Fentin acetate 45% Accessed 29 October 2017. Molista 80 WP Metaldehyde 80% Chumsun S, Muhfahroyin, 2012. Pengaruh variasi Moluskil 10 GR Saponin 10% konsentrasi buah mengkudu (Morinda citrifolia) terhadap mortalitas hama keong mas (Pomacea Musukeong 250 EC Niclosamide 250 g/l canaliculata L.) sebagai sumber belajar biologi.

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Size matters The CGIAR Platform for Big Data in Agriculture

The dramatic increase in computing power of methodologies and help build the capacity of the recent years has seen an exponential expansion international centres and their partners to generate in our ability to manage, analyse and manipulate and manage big data, as well as comply with the huge volumes of data and information. Data CGIAR ‘Open access and data management policy’ sets that were once too large and complex for (see https://cgspace.cgiar.org/handle/10947/4488). traditional data-processing applications can The Platform also aims to demonstrate and expand now be analysed to reveal patterns, trends and the power of big data analytics through sponsoring associations. Already, analysts are finding ways ground-breaking projects. to turn ‘big data’ into an invaluable resource for planning and decision-making, helping accelerate Big data to inspire challenge winners the development of robust responses to some of the world’s most pressing challenges: climate As part of its efforts to promote new methodologies change and variability, food insecurity and and applications for large data sets, the CGIAR malnutrition, and environmental degradation. Big Data Platform awards a small number of Big data is transforming the world of genetics grants based on an annual competition among and crop breeding and revolutionising disciplines proponents of the best, most innovative ideas. from climate modelling to agronomy. Known as the ‘Inspire challenge’, winners are Recognising this enormous potential, in 2017 given a grant of USD 100,000 to develop an idea CGIAR created the Platform for Big Data in and establish proof of concept over a one-year Agriculture, with the goal of harnessing the period. At the end of that time, they are eligible capabilities of big data analytics to accelerate and to compete for a USD 250,000 prize to enable the enhance the impact of international agricultural winner to scale up successful innovations for wider research (https://bigdata.cgiar.org/). implementation. In the first round of competition in 2017, five prize grants were awarded. Established for an initial period of six years (2017- 2022) the Platform is global in scope, involving • Seeing is believing. Using smartphone camera all 15 CGIAR research centres and 12 research data, IFPRI and CABI aim to provide programmes, together with 70 external partners personalised agricultural advice, based not only ranging from national and international research on localised information but also on visible institutions to universities, non-governmental crop characteristics derived from a stream organisations and private companies. It aims to of farmers’ own smartphone photos. These provide leadership in the development of novel pictures give advisory services ‘eyes on the

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