R. Bullard, R. Bruggers, S. Kilburn
Dec 1, 1983
Citations
0
Influential Citations
19
Citations
Journal
Crop Protection
Abstract
Abstract Methiocarb can be an effective, non-lethal repellent to bird pests in numerous agricultural situations world-wide. It elicits a conditioned aversion response (based on an internal physiological reaction) which birds presumably associate with a treated food crop and then avoid. However, in developing countries its cost is often prohibitive. Studies on Quelea quelea also indicate that repellency occurs at levels lower than birds can discriminate by taste. The cost of using methiocarb can be reduced by incorporating inexpensive sensory cues that birds associate with its soporific effects. In the laboratory, methiocarb/sensory-cue combinations applied to heads of sorghum significantly enhanced the repellent response to quelea. Likewise, field tests in Africa and the Philippines comparing a 1% methiocarb treatment with a 0·5% methiocarb/1·0% wattle tannin formulation applied to ripening sorghum, millet, and wheat resulted in equivalent protection and significantly less damage when compared with untreated heads. The results have practical implications to farmers, particularly in developing countries, for protecting their crops economically.