Sierra Leone IPM project 03: Evaluation of non-toxic seed treatment
for reducing vertebrate pests (small rodents and birds) damage to newly sown
and sprouting rice seeds in upland and direct seeded lowland.
Duration: 3 years (2004 - 2006)
Purpose: To develop and determine the efficacy of a non-toxic
day-starch seed coating that would reduce birds and small rodents damage to newly
sown and sprouting rice seeds.
Background/description: Damage by vertebrate pests such as birds
and small rodents are serious biotic constraints to high rice productivity in
the upland and direct-seeded lowland agro-ecologies in Sierra Leone. They damage or feed on the newly sown or
sprouting seeds, which ultimately reduce yield. Conservative estimate of annual direct or indirect loss due to
vertebrate pest is between 7-13% of yield (RRSR Newsletters Vol. V No. 5). Control measures employed by farmers to
manage these pests are usually ineffective and labour intensive. With scarcity
of labour in most rural areas in Sierra Leone, damage by these pests has become
a serious constraint to high productivity. Research activities over the years
have developed direct Seeding Technique which reduces farm labour input and
transplanting losses in IVS. It however
exposes seeds to pests such as grainvorous birds and rodents for a long time,
hence increasing the seed vulnerability to pest depredation. This has resulted to the low adoption rate
of this technology by most farmers. Research activities in most parts of the
world are directed to develop techniques that would address the problem of
vertebrate pest damage to newly sown seeds in direct seeded lowland and
upland. Recently the Denver Wildlife
Research Center has developed a non-toxic seed coating consisting of clay and
gelatin, which act as camouflage as well discourage pest from feeding on
seeds. This proposed activity intends
to develop similar techniques using locally available and affordable materials
that are feasible within the agricultural community such as clay-starch mixture
to camouflage seeds. Even when seeds
are identified, they became wet and may stick onto the beaks of birds or mouths
of rodents and hence discourage them from continuing to feed on seeds.
Agro-ecological zonal and locations:
Upland and Inland Valley Swamps in Northwestern Sierra Leone.
Expected Output: The development of effective, affordable and readily
available seed coating technique that will reduce birds and small field rats
damage and enhance crop establishment.
Potential Impact Beneficiaries: Rice farmers will be the primary
beneficiaries of the immediate results of this research activity. The research activity will develop a cheep,
simple, readily available and environmentally friendly technology that is feasible
within the agricultural communities in Sierra Leone. The technique when adopted by farmers will reduce damage to newly
sown and sprouting rice seeds, which will ultimately increase, yield of
farmers.
Contact person/Principal investigator (s): Kattingu J. Charles, email:jamreest@yahoo.com,
or rokupr@sierratel.sl, Dr. Samuel I.
Kamara, email: rokupr@sierratel.sl, Dr.
Dennis R. Taylor, Rice Research Station, PMB 736, Freetown, email: rokupr@sierratel.sl, Rice Research
Station, PMB 736, Freetown, Sierra Leone