Critical Timings of Rodenticide Bait Application for Controlling Rodents in Sugarcane Crop Grown in Situations Like Punjab, India

Abstract

Farmer field trials on determination of critical timings of rodenticide bait application in sugarcane crop were conducted in two districts of Punjab (India) during 2007–2010 for modification in already recommended practice. Sugarcane crop at all the experimental locations was surrounded by rice–wheat crops in rotation and infested predominantly with Bandicota bengalensis. Results of experiments conducted during 2007 and 2008 at two locations each revealed no significant difference in overall reduction in rodent activity and damage between fields given single (during October–November) and double (first in July and second in October–November) rodenticide treatments due to rapid rebuild up in rodent population after every treatment thus indicating the need of two treatments as per the previous recommendation. Results of experiment conducted during 2009–2010 at two locations revealed significantly (P < 0.05) higher reduction in rodent activity and damage in fields given third treatment during December–January with 0.005% bromadiolone @ 2 kg/ha than in fields given third treatment with 2% zinc phosphide @ 2 kg/ha and fields given only first two treatments. This may be due to significantly (P < 0.05) low acceptance of zinc phosphide bait compared to bromadiolone bait by rodents in these months. Present studies suggest that for protecting sugarcane fields from rodent damage at different crop stages, three rodenticide treatments, first in July, second in October–November with two rodenticide baitings @ 1 kg/ha each at the interval of 15 days and third treatment in December–January with single baiting of 0.005% bromadiolone @ 2 kg/ha may be applied.