All India Network Project on Rodent Control, AP Rice Research Institute and Regional Agricultural Research Station, Maruteru-534 122, West Godavari Dist., Andhra Pradesh, India.
* E mail: raoento@yahoo.co.in
The effectiveness of trap barrier system (TBS) was assessed for managing pre-harvest damage by Bandicota bengalensis to rice crop. A total of 147 B. bengalensis rats were trapped into the trap barrier system in three years of study period. Early planted trap crop lured more rats and 87% of the catches recorded during vegetative growth phase of the lure crop. Among the trapped animals, adults were more and constitute 68.2 to 83.7% among males and 83.3 to 95.8% in females. The average weight of the trapped male varied from 147.1 to 208.4 g, and it was 112.6 to 145 g in female. In the trap catches, the mean male to female ratios varied from 1:0.64 to 1:0.98. About 80% of the trapped females had an open vagina and 25 to 62.5% of them were pregnants. The paddy yields were 84, 227 and 295 kg/ha more in the plots surrounding to the TBS over the control plots, with cost benefit ratios of 1:1.2, 1:3.2 and 1:4.1 in 2007, 2008 and 2009 kharif seasons, respectively. The plots located in a radius of 50 m around the TBS recorded relatively less number of rat live burrows with low tiller damage. The trap crop used in the TBS did not result in economic crop losses from rice insect pests.
Rice, trap barrier system, lure crop, Bandicota bengalensis, trap catches
