Field attributes and farming practices associated with vole (Microtus) damage in cover-cropped fields

Abstract

Increased use of cover crops to promote soil health in high-intensity row-crop agroecosystems has resulted in more frequent reports of damage to soybean (Glycine max) commodity crops by voles (Microtus). Meadow (M. pennsylvanicus) and prairie voles (M. ochrogaster) may use overhead cover and forage provided by cover crops and browse soybean seedlings after emergence in spring. Because cover cropping is a recently adopted conservation practice, few methods have been evaluated for their relative effectiveness in preventing vole damage in cover-cropped fields. We used boosted regression tree models to assess how farming practices, physical and landscape attributes of cover-cropped soybean fields, and seasonal weather conditions were associated with severity of damage by voles across Indiana, USA. We found non-linear, asymptotic relationships between risk of vole damage and number of days of snow cover the preceding winter, percent of well-drained soils, and number of years of cover-crop use in a field. Damage risk was greatest at intermediate levels of grassland vole habitat within 50 m, and risk was lower when conservation tillage was applied. Our results can be used by producers to identify fields and years where vole damage is most likely to occur and identifies farming practices most likely to mitigate risk in those fields.