Impact of the Common Vole, Microtus arvalis (Pallas) on Winter Wheat and Alfalfa Crops1)

• Published in: EPPO Bulletin
• Main Author: Tertil, R.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 1977
• Subjects: Common vole; Microtus arvalis
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2338.1977.tb02732.x; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1365-2338.1977.tb02732.x; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1365-2338.1977.tb02732.x

ABSTRACT Impact of the common vole, Microtus arvalis (Pallas), upon the winter wheat and alfalfa crops was determined. Net‐bottomed coops were used for estimating the effect of vole grazing. Exposure of winter wheat to vole grazing at the stages of earing and flowering was the most harmful. Losses were up to 91% of the potential crop yield, while the proportion of the best grain size fraction (2.8 mm) dropped to a minimum level. Coefficients reflecting the influence of vole grazing on the crop were determined. The coefficient TOTAL is an index of the total impact of consumption. The impact, I t , at time t equals the consumption, Ct, at this time multiplied by the value of TOTAL. For alfalfa, these coefficients range from 1.28 to 11.73. The results obtained in this study have made it possible to determine the effective rodent pressure on crop yield.