Application of grain baits to control common vole Microtus arvalis (Pallas, 1778) in alfalfa crops, Serbia

Abstract

In order to compare the efficacies of conventional (cholecalciferol and bromadiolone) and new (sodium selenite) rodenticides, applied in the grain bait formulation on the whole-grain of wheat (Triticum aestivum) and triticale (Triticasecale) in alfalfa crops, experiments were conducted at two sites near Belgrade, Serbia, in the spring of 2009, using a standard EPPO method. The presence of rodent populations, their spatial distribution and density indices were evaluated by pretreatment census and rodenticide efficacy by counting active holes, 14 and 28 days after treatment. The average Microtus arvalis numbers of 158/ha and 184/ha were found to cause 7.4% and 9.6% alfalfa green biomass yield decreases, respectively. Twenty-eight days after treatment, the average efficacy of grain bait formulation (on wheat and triticale grains) of sodium selenite and cholecalciferol was 81%, while bromadiolone which had a higher efficiency, 85%, in the control of the common vole in alfalfa crops. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that the origin of active substances, bases and associated interactions a.s x based on the efficacy-investigated grain baits did not have a statistically significant impact on the expression efficiency of the tested baits. Triticale grains can be used as carriers of active substances, sodium selenite, cholecalciferol or bromadiolone in preparation baits. Control of M. arvalis with the new rodenticide, sodium selenite, gave efficacy results about equal to that of cholecalciferol and bromadiolone and, therefore, provided a possible alternative rodenticide for vole control in alfalfa

Control of Common Vole (Microtus arvalis) in Alfalfa Crops Using Reduced Content of Anticoagulants

“…Brodifacoum (23 ppm) was found to control a bromadiolone-and difenacoum-resistant brown rat population on a farm [38]. In our earlier research [29,30], the efficacy of bromadiolone (50 ppm) and brodifacoum (50 ppm) in controlling common voles in alfalfa crops was 81-85% and 95%, respectively. In this study, the average efficacy of brodifacoum three weeks after treatment was 92.05%, while the average efficacy of the anticoagulant combination and bromadiolone was 87.2% and 75.5%, respectively.…”

“…The high reproductive potential of common voles, and their tendency to overpopulate, especially in crops such as alfalfa, quickly becomes the basic and greatest threat to economic interests of sustainable plant production. The average common vole abundance of 158-184 animals per ha caused up to 9.6% alfalfa green biomass yield decrease [29,30], while the average abundance of 250-285/ha caused 15.6-21.2% alfalfa green biomass yield decreases. Babinska-Werka [31] found that an average vole population of 145-220/ha caused 8.7% damage to alfalfa crop.…”

Management of the Common Vole in the Czech Lands: Historical and Current Perspectives

“…Because of their persistency in the environment and non-negligible risk of primary and secondary nontarget intoxication (e.g., [123,124]), anticoagulants have been restricted for plant-protection application over time. Currently, although some of these active substances are still approved for use against field rodents (common voles) in the EU and other European countries (e.g., Serbia [125][126][127]), most national authorities have banned the use of anticoagulant products for these purposes [6].…”

Sodium selenite as a new rodenticide

“…Applying standard EPPO (2004a) methodology, trials were conducted to test the efficacy of several formulations of commercial products with 0.1% sodium selenite and 0.005% bromadiolone in the field against field rodents (Vukša et al, 2009;Jokić et al, 2010;Jokić et al, 2012). Common voles and striped field mice were found predominating, depending on locality, plant crop and its growth stage, and evaluation that was conducted either by trapping or by visual observation of characteristic signs.…”