Evaluation of thiram and cinnamamide for protection of maize seeds against multimammate mice, Mastomys natalensis, in Tanzania

dFarmers in Tanzania consider rodents to be the major vertebrate pest of maize, especially at planting and seedling stages and annual losses are high. We evaluated the potential of two seed-dressing compounds, thiram and cinnamamide, as rodent repellents to protect maize against damage by multimammate rats, Mastomys natalensis. In laboratory tests, the two compounds showed a strong repellent effect against M. natalensis and thus the potential to protect maize seeds. The two compounds were evaluated in maize fields using Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. The results show that these repellents are effective for protecting maize seeds against multimammate rats in the field, but in locations with high population of Tatera leucogster, seedlings are still damaged after emergence. Therefore, in such locations, other control Measures, including application of rodenticides just before seedling emergence may be necessary.