Management of Indian peafowl, Pavo cristatus (L.) on Rice in Kerala

Physical methods viz. nylon rope and reflective ribbon around the nursery bed and T Net over the seed bed completely prevented the intrusion of peafowl and protected seedlings as against 55.7 and 34.9% damage in unprotected field during 2014–15 and 2015–16, respectively. Among seed protectants, strontium chloride recorded lowest damage to crop (16.7%), followed by copper oxychloride (21.2%), bio bird repellent (26.67%) and albumin solution (26.8%) during 2014–15. But the effect of seed protectants were non-significant during 2015–16. At maturing stage of paddy, fields protected with physical barrier, nylon rope and reflective ribbon recorded 0.24 0.33% reduction in yield of border plants as against 30.5 to 49.9% in unprotected plot. The study revealed that physical barriers with nylon rope, reflective ribbon and nylon net around the crop protected rice at seedling and maturing stages against depredation by peafowl.