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

Authors

John L. Cummings, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, National Wildlife Research CenterFollow
Patricia A. Pochop, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, National Wildlife Research Center
Christi A. Yoder, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, National Wildlife Research Center
James E. Davis Jr., U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, National Wildlife Research Center

Date of this Version

January 1998

Abstract

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.