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RP Mathur (1997)

Effectiveness of various rodent control measures in cereal crops and plantations in India

BELGIAN JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY, 127(S1):137-144.

In India, crops vulnerable to rodent attack include rice and wheat cereals and coconut, cacao and oil palm plantations. Bandicota bengalensis, Rattus rattus, Tatera indica, Meriones hurrianae, Millardia meltada and Mus sp. are the principal rodents associated with crop damage. In rice 0.005\% bromadiolone in bait stations at 15 m interval provided 88.3\% control success. Based on live burrow count and baits placed directly in the burrows, the percent control was estimated at 98.8\%. Increased yield was recorded in fields treated with bromadiolone as against those of warfarin, zinc phosphide and no treatment. Optimum time of control is six weeks after transplantation. In wheat, which is followed by rice in many areas, bromadiolone bait reduced more than 98\% of the rodent population. In coconut plantations, with an average damage of 45.3 nuts/palm/year, amongst a single method of trapping only, warfarin baiting, zinc phosphide baiting and bromadiolone cakes, the latter provided 100\% success at the rate of 2 cakes or 33 g/palm in treated plots as indicated by fallen nuts. Single climbing to the crown in case of bromadiolone is an extra advantage in the form of saving in labour in comparison to warfarin and zinc phosphide, also providing 100\% success. Cacao intercropped with coconut were treated with bromadiolone wax cakes tied at the fonds at a rate of 2 cakes per tree. After 15 days of treatment, damage was completely reduced. The working index of Economic Threshold Level (ETL), schedule of control operations, monitoring techniques and other integrated measures are discussed.

Bandicota bengalensis; bromadiolone; damage; live burrow count; plantations; Rattus
International Workshop on Rodent Biology and Integrated Pest Management in Africa, MOROGORO, TANZANIA, OCT 21-25, 1996
  • ISSN: 0777-6276
BJZ

ISSN 2295-0451 (online version)
ISSN 0777-6279 (printed version)
impact factor 2015: 0,87.

Editor-in-Chief:
Prof. Dr. Isa Schön
Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences
Vautierstraat 29
1000 Brussels, Belgium

 



1863-1903
Annales de la Société malacologique de Belgique
 
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​Annales de la Société royale malacologique et zoologique de Belgique
 
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Annales de la Société Royale Zoologique de Belgique
 
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Belgian Journal of Zoology