Conservation agriculture practices have changed habitat use by rodent pests: implications for management of feral house mice

Journal of Pest Science - The advent of ‘conservation agriculture’ (CA) farming using zero- or no-tillage practices and an accompanying change in crop rotations in the last...     

The effect of 1,8-naphthalic anhydride and depth of seeding on rice tolerance to herbicides in greenhouse tests

In greenhouse tests both butachlor and thiobencarb injured the rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars IR36 and Salumpikit. Depth of seeding altered the tolerance of both cultivars to the herbicides. Planting IR36 3 cm deep and Salumpikit 4 cm deep protected them from herbicide damage. Planting deeper than 4 cm generally resulted in smaller and lighter plants. Seed treatment with 1,8-naphthalic anhydride (NA) at 1% w/w further reduced the phytotoxic effect of the herbicides, especially at shallower planting depths. The plants from the NA-treated seeds were taller and heavier than those from the untreated seeds.     

Potential of meat meal to replace fish meal in extruded dry diets for barramundi, Lates calcarifer (Bloch). I. Growth performance

Juvenile barramundi (～220–280 g start weight) were fed extruded dry‐pelleted diets containing varying amounts of fish meal and meat meal in three experiments (E). E1 and E2 were each 66‐day farm studies utilizing 16 floating cages (400 fish per cage) in an aerated freshwater pond. E3 examined the same diets as fed in E2 but under controlled water temperature (28 ± 0.7 °C) and photoperiod (12:12) laboratory conditions in a 42‐day study involving 24 aquaria (eight fish per aquarium). In all studies, the same 430 g kg^?1 crude protein (CP), 15 kJ g^?1 digestible energy (DE) control (Ctl) diet (containing 35% Chilean anchovy fish meal) was compared with two high‐inclusion meat meal diets and a proprietary diet. The meat meal diets evaluated in E1 were a high‐ash (260 g kg^?1) meat meal that contained 520 g kg^?1 CP and a low‐ash (140 g kg^?1) meat meal that contained 600 g kg^?1 CP when included at either 450 or 400 g kg^?1, respectively, in combination with 100 g kg^?1 Chilean fish meal in diets that were isonitrogenous and isoenergetic with the Ctl diet. Growth rates and feed conversions were similar (P > 0.05) for all diets. In E2 and E3, the 520 g kg^?1 CP meat meal was included at 500 g kg^?1 without any marine protein source in diets formulated to provide either 15 or 16.2 kJ g^?1 DE and the same CP/DE ratio (29 mg kJ^?1) as the Ctl diet. Fish performance ranking of diets was similar in both experiments, with the 16.2 kJ g^?1 DE diet supporting better (P < 0.05) growth rates than the Ctl diet and feed conversion ratios equivalent to the Ctl diet but better (P < 0.05) than all other diets.     

Assessment of Five Shelter Types in the Production of Redclaw Crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus (Decapoda: Parastacidae) Under Earthen Pond Conditions

An experiment was designed to assess the relative performance of several shelter types on the production of redclaw crayfish Cherar quadricarinatus under earthen pond conditions. Juvenile crayfish with a mean stocking weight of 12.76 g were cultured in 24 net pens at 12.5 m² within a 0.2 ha earthen pond, and were provided with one of five shelter types or no shelter over 162 d. The various shelter types assessed were: mesh bundles, pipe stacks, car tires, elevated cement/fiber-board sheets, and cement/fiber-board sheets laid flat on the substrate. Crayfish in each pen were fed a formulated pellet diet three times each week. Treatments were assessed on the basis of crayfish growth, survival, harvest biomass and berry rate among females at harvest. There was no significant effect ( P > 0.05) of shelter type on growth; however, there was a highly significant effect ( P < 0.001) on survival with mesh bundles (75.1%), tires (51.4%), and pipe stacks (43.25%) performing significantly better than the no shelter control (15%). The consequence of equal growth and differing survival among treatments produced significant differences in harvest biomass ( P < 0.01). There were also significant differences in berry rate for the different treatments ( P = 0.002), and a significant negative correlation of berry rate on survival for those treatments where shelter was provided. This experiment showed that the shelter types provided during pond culture had a significant effect on harvested biomass, primarily through its effect on survival. The efficacy of the mesh bundle shelters may be attributable to the variability in the size of the spaces provided, and the ability of the mesh to separate many individuals relative to the overall volume of the shelter.     

Effects of harvesting and stubble management on abundance of pest rodents (Mus musculus) in a conservation agriculture system

BACKGROUND

The shift to more environmentally sensitive agricultural practices over the last several decades has changed farmland landscapes worldwide. Changes including no-till and retaining high biomass mulch has been coincident with an increase in rodent pests in South Africa, India, South America and Europe, indicating a possible conflict between conservation agriculture (CA) and rodent pest management. Research on effects of various crop management practices associated with CA on pest rodent population dynamics is needed to anticipate and develop CA-relevant management strategies.

RESULTS

During the Australian 2020–2021 mouse plague, farmers used postharvest stubble management practices, including flattening and/or cutting, to reduce stubble cover in paddocks to lessen habitat suitability for pest house mice. We used this opportunity to assess the effects of both harvest and stubble management on the movement and abundance of mice in paddocks using mouse trapping and radio tracking. We found that most tracked mice remained resident in paddocks throughout harvest, and that mouse population abundance was generally unaffected by stubble management.

CONCLUSION

Recent conversions to CA practices have changed how pest house mice use cropped land. Management practices that reduce postharvest habitat complexity do not appear to reduce the attractiveness of paddocks to mice, and further research into new management strategies in addition to toxic bait use is required as part of an integrated pest management approach. © 2023 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.     

A review of genetic improvement in growth rate in redclaw crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus (von Martens) (Decapoda: Parastacidae)

This paper provides a review and summary of strain comparison and selective breeding work carried out on redclaw crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus (von Martens) at the Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Freshwater Fisheries and Aquaculture Centre, Walkamin. Redclaw crayfish are a highly marketable, environmentally tolerant, freshwater crayfish with a moderately fast, but variable, growth rate. Five strains of the species were assessed morphologically and in terms of age at maturity. A non‐replicated production trial was also carried out before two strains, from the Gilbert and Flinders rivers in North Queensland, were chosen to be part of an experimental selective breeding programme for improved growth. Initially, 14 families of each strain were randomly mated and grown out. At this point, a size‐related selection took place, with the largest animals from each family forming a selected line, and individuals from around the mean forming a control line. Within‐family selection and reciprocal mating between families was performed. Data were collected after each of two generations of growout and analysed by analysis of variance. Significant differences (P < 0.05) were measured between strains, sexes and between selected and control lines. Selected individuals grew 9.5% faster than the controls. Recommendations for selective breeding research involving freshwater crayfish are presented.