REPELLENT EFFECT OF V. P. SCUD CHEMICAL COMPOUND ON WILD BIRD ATTACKING WHEAT AND BROAD BEAN UNDER FIELD CONDATIONS

REPELLENT EFFECT OF V. P. SCUD CHEMICAL COMPOUND  ON WILD BIRD ATTACKING

WHEAT AND BROAD BEAN UNDER FIELD CONDATIONS

Fatma, K. Khidr  and A.A.M. Abou- Hashem    

Plant protections Research Institute Agric. Research Center

Key Words: Wild birds, damage, crop depredation repellent effect, wheat , Broad bean, V.P. Scud®

ABSTRACT:

The efficacy of V.P. Scud® compound was tested as repellents against wild birds attacking wheat and Broad bean fields in Qalubia Governorate. In the wheat crop experiment, the house sparrow Passer domesticus niloticus attacked the spikes with the highest percentage of damage (13.1%) in the control trial, during the 6th week when spikes emergence. While protection percentages were 30.5, 42.7, 45.0and 67.9% when applying VP Scud®, concentrations of 1.5, 2.5, 3.5 and 4.5 ml/liter, respectively during the same period in the treatment trials.. While the protection percentage were the highest during the 4th week with concentrations of 1.5, 2.5, 3.5 and 4.5 ml/liter, respectively. In the Broad bean experiment, bird spp. attacked the pods and caused high percentage of damage reached 13.12 % in the 5th week of the control trial. While when applying with V.P. Scud®. It gave the protection percentage of at the concentration of 4.5 ml/liter with values of 38.8, 41.1, 41.0 and 21.o4%, during the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th week after pollination, respectively. Protection percentage reached its maximum during the study period with the concentration of 4.5 ml/liter

INTRODUCTION

Most bird species are beneficial but some species can seriously cause severe damages to many important agricultural crops in many countries. In Egypt the house sparrow, Passer domesticus niloticus (L.) is considered to be  one of the most important agricultural pest in the cultivated lands.. Bird consumes many crops especially cereal grains such as wheat and sorghum as well as rice, broad bean, sunflowers and grapes). EL-Deeb(1991) reported that the bird damage to ripening stage of wheat ,broad bean, barley, sun flower and sorghum reached to 20.68,2.76,1.50,21.03 and 35.60%respectively.  

Chemical repellents are intended to prevent birds from feeding on a particular food. There is a necessity to use  avicide  compounds to control bird populations and thus decrease their damage to crops. The mode of action of avicides depends on the chemical used. Some avicides may be used as bird repellents, some were selectively toxic to birds. Some have been used as soporifics and some as reproductive inhibitors (Schafer, 1991).

Chemical repellents are intended to prevent birds from feeding on a particular food. Methiocarb is one of the avicides used as bird control agent, which provide alternative means of reducing bird damage applied to grain sorghum. Grain yields were higher and bird damage was lower on the methiocarb-treated plots than on the check plots (Duncan, 1980). The methiocarb grain bait at 0.1% proved to be highly effective in repelling sparrows and may function as an ideal crop protection against bird invasion (Rizvi et al., 2002). Methyl anthranilate, formulated as Bird Shield repellent was effective to protect sweet corn, sunflower and cherries against bird depredation (Askham, 2000). Polyphenols with several aspects related to phenolics chemistry convert to the several compounds as coumarins, tannins, anthocyanins, cinnamic acids and flavonoids (Pereira et al., 2009). Phenolic compound and terpenes are plant secondary metabolites that act as deterrents for gallinaceous birds feeding and Canada geese (Bryant and Kuropat, 1980; Buchsbaum et al., 1984).

 The present work was designed to study the repellency effect of different concentrations,  V.P. Scud® (K2O 10% W/W and sylvinite and polyphenolic), on reducing bird damage to wheat and Broad bean crops under field conditions.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The experiments were carried out at AL-Muneera Village , El-Qanater El khtria district,  Qlyubia Governorate

Tested compound:

 V.P. Scud®

- Common name: K2O 10% W/W and sylvinite and polyphenolic

- Trade name: V.P. Scud® was obtained from Gaara Seeds Company, Egypt. The recommendation concentration was 2-4 ml/. the experimental concentrations applied in this work were 1.5, 2.5, 3.5 and 4.5 ml/liter.

Wheat Experiments;.

Fields cultivated with wheat crop were chosen at this location according to farmers’ complaints about the losses caused by birds .The selected plots more than 10  faddans during the wheat growing season of  2018. The area surrounded  by  dense shrubs, several dominant tree as Casurina and camphor treeand near fields cultivated with vegetable crops.

Nine plots about 2 faddans for each plot were selected for treatments and separated by 100 m. The concentrations which mentioned before of V.P. SCud® were initially used at the milky stage of wheat. The first application was made in the second week after pollination (milky stage), while the second one was applied 15 days after accomplished the first application. The treated and untreated plots were inspected weekly from the end of the second week after pollination till harvest to determine the damage caused by house sparrow (Passer domesticus niloticus). Damage assessment was carried out using the methods and calculations of Poche et al. (1982). A wooden square frame (40 X 40 cm) was used for    sampling. Twenty randomly samples were examined for each plot. The number of damaged and undamaged spikes found within the frame was recorded weekly till harvest.

The percentage damage to each spike was scored according to the following categories (De-Haven, 1974):

- Category 1= 10 % level (1-20 % damage).

- Category 2= 30 % level (21-40% damage).

- Category 3= 50 % level (41-60% damage).

- Category 4= 70 % level (61-80% damage).

- Category 5= 90 % level (81-100 % damage).

     Percentage of damage was calculated  as follow;.

Damage (%)  =        C X 100

                               T

Where:    

C = undamaged x 0.0 + 10% damage x 0.1 + 30% damage x 0.3

+ 50% damage x 0.5 + 70% damage x 0.7 + 90% damage x 0.9;

T = Total investigated heads

Broad bean Experiments;.

Study area about 2 faddans cultivated with broad bean during the season of 2018. This area  has a history of severe bird attack. The 1borders were as follows: In the East, fields cultivated with maize; the West, a pass way exists then maize fields; a small water canal with dense shrubs , Casuarina and camphor tree, from the North and to the South a pass way exists followed by maize fields.

Applied in the repining stage of broad bean with the same procedure. The first application was performed at the end of first week of flowering stage and the second spray was executed after fifteen days of the first application. The treated and control plots were inspected weekly from the end of second week of flowering till harvest to determine the percentage of damage. Determination  percentage of damage by bird sp.) for broad bean plants was carried out after pollination at pods formation stage. Five randomly samples were taken weekly in fields treated and untreated (control). In each sample ten successive plants were inspected to estimate the degree of damage in ripening stage according to Issa and El-Bakhshawngi (2018). The percentage of damage was calculated by the formula:

Damage (%)=Damage%=   ( No .of damaged pods/ total No of examined pods X100

Bird damage was assessed in the treated and untreated areas and protection (PI) was calculated according to EL-Sherbiny et al (1994)by the formula :.

Protection (%) = Damage in control (%)--- Damage in treatment (%)X100

                                           Damage in control (%)

Data were arranged using excel sheet and statistically analyzed using the (Costat Statistical Software, 2005).All data were first subjected to one  -way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and least significant differences (LSD) were calculated at P<0.05 .

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Wheat experiments

The results in Table 1 and Fig.1. Clear that the percentage of wheat was increased gradually  throughout the weeks at all concentrations ,with low value 0.63% at concentration 4.5 ml/Liter during the 2^nd week.The  highest  percentage of damage was 13.1% and the lowest was 4.2% during the 6^thweek with control  and 4.5ml/Liter concentration, respectively.                                                                                                         

Also, Data in Table 1.indicated that the tested compound when used at 1.5ml , 2.5ml, 3.5ml and 4.5ml/ liter achieved considerable protection for wheat ,i.e. 44.9,51.4,24.6 &54.3   for 2^nd week and 17.3,31.7,46,0 &60.4 for 3^rd week and 22.7,37,7,42,6 &66.6  for 4^th week  and 25.6 ,40.2,43.9 &58.5 for 5^th week and 30.5 ,42.7,45.0 &67.9%  for 6^th week against house sparrow birds in wheat field .  significant differences were found among all the treatment and control. These result agree with El-Deeb (1990) who found that Mesurol has better repellency effect on wheat than on other crops. Khattab (1993)  and (Khidr 2006 &2010)cleared that house sparrow attacks wheat at ripening stage and the damage varied from location to location depending on the prevailing agro ecosystem and weather conditions. He added that house sparrow avoided the chemicals which applied at higher concentrations. Also the protection indices of Nuvacron at the concentration of 0.5% were from 72.8 to 76.7 and at concentration of 1.0% from 81.9 to 89.7. Kassa and Jackson (1979). About 38–100% feeding repellency among horned larks offered wheat seeds (Triticum spp.) treated with 168–3010 ppm anthraquinone during the concentration-response were observed by Werner et al. (2015).

Table 1.Effectiveness of V.P.Scud  compound as bird repellent on wheat fields  against house sparrow birds, P. demesticu s niloticus  at EL –kanter E L-kheyria   during 2018 Season

Fig.1

Broad bean   Experiments:. 

Results in  Table 2. And Fig 2.cleared that the concentration of 1.5 ml/liter was not affective in protect the crop at the 2nd week. But the concentration of 4.5 ml/liter gave the highest percentage of protection during the whole period of the study. house sparrow  and other bird can be considered a menace when seeds have been formed in the pods. They start feeding on the seeds from the time pods are being formed until harvest. The highest percentage of damage in the control and different treatments 1.5, 2.5, 3.5 and 4.5 ml/liter and were at 5th week with 13.12, 11.93, 12.4, 11.15 and 10.36%, respectively On the other hand ,showed that the concentration of 1.5ml/liter was not affective in protect the crop (broad bean ) at the 2^nd week. But the concentration 4.5 ml/liter gave the highest percentage of protection during  the whole period of the study.

For discussing the aforementioned results it could be concluded that the effectiveness of the tested compound differed according to  concentration , crops, its stage .York et al. (2000) recorded horned lark damage to lettuce seedlings with 60% in Anthraquinone treated and 20% in Mesurol treated, while control plot 100% at enclosure. Cummings et al. (2006) referred that horned larks consumed fewer lettuce seedlings treated with flight control (anthraquinone) than untreated seedlings. Birds consumed 8.5% seedlings in the treated enclosures, versus 68.5% seedlings in untreated enclosures. Niner et al. (2015)mentioned that the effect of repellent range from quick aversion upon contact with taste and smell receptors to delayed gastrointestinal discomfort and vomiting following ingestion after suffering the negative sequence of a repellent.

Table 2.Effectiveness of V.P. Scud  compound as bird repellent on broad bean fields  against birds, attacked at EL –kanter EL-keria   district during 2018 season