POTENTIAL BIRD REPELLENTS TO REDUCE BIRD DAMAGE TO LETTUCE SEED AND SEEDLINGS

• Main Authors: Cummings, John L., Pochop, Patricia A., Yoder, Christi A., Davis, James E., Jr.
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln 1998
• Subjects: activated charcoal; Eremophila alpestris; fipronil; homed lark; lime; methyl anthranilate; Mesurol®; methiocarb; ReJeX-iT® AG- 145; repellents; Environmental Health and Protection
• Online Access: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/vpc18/7; https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/context/vpc18/article/1006/viewcontent/18vpc_Cummings.pdf

The authors evaluated the effectiveness of ReJeX-iT® AG-145, Mesurol®, activated charcoal, lime, and fipronil to reduce homed lark damage to lettuce seeds and seedlings. In Experiment 1, homed larks consumed significantly more feed mixture (50:50 grains and lettuce seed) than untreated clay-coated lettuce seed in a three-day choice-test. In Experiment 2, where clay-coated lettuce seed was treated with ReJeX-iT® AG- 145, Mesurol®, activated charcoal, or lime, there was no significant difference in consumption of untreated clay-coated lettuce seed and treated clay-coated lettuce seed. Homed larks consumed insignificant amounts of all seed treatments including untreated coated lettuce seed. In this experiment homed larks lost an average of 28 % of their body weight over the three-day test period. It was concluded that the clay seed coating alone reduced damage significantly. In the aviary test, flats of sprouting lettuce seedlings were sprayed with Mesurol® (4 kg/ha), ReJeX-iT® AG-145 (64 kg/ha), lime (32 kg/ha), activated charcoal (32 kg/ha), and fipronil(4 kg/ha). Mesurol®, ReJeX-iT® AG-145, and lime significantly reduced consumption of lettuce seedlings over a four-day test period. Even though lime significantly reduced consumption, homed larks still consumed over 50% of the available lettuce seedlings. Field evaluations are warranted with Mesurol® and ReJeX-iT® AG-145.