VERTEBRATE PEST CONTROL
INSTITUTE
Old Block 9 & 10,
Objectives VPCI
Ø
Identify the major vertebrate pest
in different agro-eco system,
Ø
Assess crop and food storage losses
from vertebrate pest,
Ø
Develop safe, effective &
economical control methods through testing new products which are suitable and
practical for farmers,
Ø
Test rodenticides and avicides
both under laboratory & field conditions so as to help the concerned
agencies in regulating their use
Ø
Demonstrate vertebrate pest
control techniques at farm level through pilot control programme
Ø
Investigate rodent borne diseases
hazardous to human & Livestock health
Ø
Transfer knowledge to farming
community through provincial agricultural extension services by holding master
trainer courses, seminar and producing a wide range of advisory bulletins,
leaflets & pamphlets
Recent
Studies
A Feeding
pattern and management strategy against
Indian crested porcupine, Hystrix indica in
some agricultural farms of
Salient Findings
Ø
The feeding
preference pattern of Hystrix indica showed great diversity and
overall thirteen different plants were sampled for food as revealed by faecal pellet analysis. The wild cactus (Euphorbia caducifolia) being the most
preferred plant species.
Ø
Under IPM based
porcupine management study, use of live and kill trapping and poison baiting
method showed very encouraging results. The data of live trapping and leg-hold
traps showed 82% and 75% success respectively.
Ø
For poison
baiting zinc phosphide and brodifacoum bait blocks were compared. The success
of zinc phosphide bait block remained 75% while 92% mortality was achieved in
case of brodifacoum bait.
Ø
To disseminate
porcupine control technology, two one day training sessions were arranged in
the area in which thirty farmers participated. They were trained in bait
preparation and application of PARC Rat bait.
B. Rodent pests’ management strategy in
some-industrial complex of
Salient
Findings
Ø
A thorough
survey of the industrial complex revealed two major rodent species i,e house rat, Rattus rattus and Norvway rat, Rattus norvegicus
that were recorded the main causative agent in wire cutting, resulting in power
failure.
Ø
For effective
control of rodent pests, 200 bait stations / shops of the factory were placed.
The wooden baits boxes were installed in the proximity of power transmitter to
save power cables.
Ø
Overall rodent control
success rate was noted upto 98% using PARC Rat bait.
Besides, canteen and administration block were also treated to control pest
population.
Ø
A “rat pest
control unit” under the supervision of agriculture officer/ entomologist is
setup for timely action of rodent related mishaps in the industrial complex
with technical assistance of VPCI/SARC/PARC Karachi.
C. Studies on breeding biology post-natal
development and control trials against rodents damaging date-palm orchards of
Balochistan.
Salient Findings
Ø
Food habit
studies indicated that mole rat (Nesokia sp.) has a narrow feeding niche, and
in non-crop lands of Balochistan is largely herbivorous in diet.
Ø
The food habit
studies shows that mole rat (Nesokia sp.) throughout the season feeds principally
upon the date-palm fruits, stem, grasses
and roots but date-palm stem was the main component of the diet.
Ø
The presence of
date-palm fruit in the diet of mole rat in non-fruiting season indicate
presence of hoarding behavior in this rat specie, as well as post harvest
losses due to absence of adequate knowledge of post harvest management in the
farmers of the area.
Ø
Burrow baiting
was found more suitable in the date-palm orchards at Nok
Kundi in view of high velocity dusty wind and ecological conditions of the area
as well as for the safety of grazing ruminants and live stock.
Ø
Underground
modified PVC pipe bait station was suitable to place the rodenticides bait.
Ø
Highest
mortality (100%) was obtained by the use of 5g sachet of milk powder as bait
base containing 0.22% Sodium monofluroacetate (1080) which were inserted deep
into the live burrows of rodents.
Ø
Aluminum
phosphide tablets also gave excellent results and 95.45% reduction in rodent
activity was obtained as sufficient moisture in the soil increased the release
of Phosphine gas in the burrows.
Ø
Brodifacoum and
Zinc phosphide burrow baiting gave also encouraging results and reduction in
rodent activity was obtained 85.71% and 75.43% respectively.
Ø
In captivity Indian
gerbil normally showed mutual amicable behavior and it continued as long as the
original pairs were kept together.
Ø
Parents and
siblings up to 3 litters occupied a single nest box without any apparent ill
effect. In nature this gerbil also lives in loose association and colonies.
Ø
The annual rate
of reproduction in the present study was 68.00 young / female. This high rate
was largely due to higher pregnancy rate. The overall prevalence of pregnancy
for the entire period was 70.24%.
Ø
Of a total of 556young
from 118 litters, 42.27% were eaten by the parents till 28th day of their
birth. The data of this study indicate that cannibalistic activity increase
with the litter size; The higher will be the litter size, more will be the
mortality.
Ø
The females
acquired sexual maturity at the age of 42days at body weight of 65.87g. The
heaviest porous female was 91.87g at the age of 74days. The smallest sexually
mature male weighed 45.4g at the age of 34days.
Ø
The female
slightly out weighed to male till third and fourth week of their life but later
on the males weighed heavier then the females and by 20th week the difference
was the greatest.
D. Diet of an Avian predator, the barn owl
(Tyto alba ) in some districts of Balochistan with
reference to rodent pests of Agricultural crops.
Salient Findings
Ø
During the
reporting period one hundred and eighty one regurgitated pellets of predator
bird collected form near to crop fields (wheat, rice barley, millet and
orchard) of chowki Jamati Wali Shah, Qubba Ghaffar Khan., Tehsil Osta Mohammad in Balochistan.
Ø
Analysis of
avian pellets provide information on types of prey, rates of predation and
variation in diet in different habitats, seasons and years (Diet, 1971;).
Composition of prey species in pellets of avian predators have been used to
indicate relative abundance and proportional composition of those prey species
in habitats searched by predators. Dietary studies of the nocturnal predator
birds are a prerequisite for control of rats mice. These pellets were processed
and analyzed / examined with the help of reference material, literature and
identification keys.
Ø
Results show
presence of 388 skulls of rats and mice and 4 skulls of birds. Other skeletal
remains i,e pectoral, pelvic bones, fore and hind
limbs, lower jaws, ribs etc. Incisor and molar teeth and 2,890 different
vertebrae. The percentage of small mammals found in the pellets was 99.9% and
S.D. + 50.36.
Ø
Following
species were identified in the diet of the predator bird, the effective mouser.
a) Nesokia
indica (6.44%) b) Rattus rattus (25%)
c) Mus musculus
(41.75%) d) Rattus meltada (1.54%)
e) Bandicota
bengalensis (2.319%) f) Crocidura russula (0.51%)
g) Millardia meltada (4.12%) h) S. murinus (11.34%)
i) Tatera indica (0.51%) j) Birds (1.03%)
K) Suncus stolieczhanus (5.41%).
E. Study on internal parasites of Nesokia indica (serious pest of field
crop) communicable to human being and pet animals.
Salient Findings
Parasites
of Nesokia indica have less been studied in
F. Parakeet
damage to date palm garden
Salient Findings
Ø
The study was
carried out at Dr. Punjwani Centre for Molecular
Medicines and Drug Research,
Ø
Observations
were made thrice daily: morning, noon and late after-noon. It was observed that
parakeets, mostly in flocks, attacked dates in the morning or late after noon.
During day time, they occasionally attacked the dates. At the time of attack,
parakeets flew from one palm to another with detached dates. They fed by
sitting or hanging on the dates bunches. They damaged the dates by wasting more
than they ate. The crop was not attracted by parakeet at flowering and early
stage. The damage, however, started at ripening stage when the dates had become
yellow and attained larger size.
Ø
Preliminary
damage has been assessed as under:
|
Average
weight of undamaged bunch/tree |
45.37
kg |
|
Average
weight of damaged bunch /tree |
3.24
kg |
|
Average
total yield/tree |
48.61
kg |
|
Average
total loss/tree |
45.37
kg |
|
%
loss/tree |
38.70 |
|
|
|
Ø
Average loss of yield
ranged from 28.68% to 49.02 %. Results of paired sample for means have shown
that at 5% level of significance difference of damaged and undamaged was more
than 25 kg per tree which is almost 51.43 percent of yield (p=0.031, t=1.76).
G. Rodent
pest management in rice-sugarcane cropping system at district Thatta, Sindh.
Salient Findings
Ø
Feeding habits
of Bandicota bengalensis were studied
in captivity. The rats were trapped from rice-sugarcane cropping system at
district Thatta, Sindh and acclimatized in live animal laboratory, VPCI.
No-choice (single), bi-choice (double) and multiple-choice feeding experiments
were carried out against the rats. Maize, wheat, sorghum, barley, millet and
rice were offered to both sexes for no-choice and in different combinations for
bi-choice and multiple choice trials.
Ø
During these
feeding experiments, it was observed that both sexes of bandicoot rat preferred
rice the most and wheat the least. A significant deference in intake between
wheat and rice (P>0.05) was noted among both sexes. While a non-significant
intake was evident in all other grains (P< 0.05).
H. Study
on ecto- and endo-parasites
of the rose-ringed parakeet (Psittacula karameri).
Salient
Findings
Besides
being a pest, rose-ringed parakeet serves as a popular pet and can transmits
diseases/parasites to human. Hence the study was aimed at researching the ecto- and endo-parasites of the
rose-ringed parakeet.
In endo-parasitic studies, six parakeets (trapped by paro-trap) were examined for parasitic infection. Four
parakeets were found infected with tape worms of genus Raillietina (Cestoda:
Davaineidae).
I. Development of parakeet management models/techniques for
sunflower crop in lower Sindh (TWG for FY 2007-08).
Salient
Findings
For
implementation of developed parakeet management models (such as paro-trap) in sunflower cultivated area, preliminary
surveys were carried out at Gharo, Thatta, Sajawal, Chugur Jamali and Cheech for site
selection. Sowing/sprouting of sunflower was started at that time. Variety sown
was Hysen-33, Hysen-38 and NK-278. Sunflower at Malkani
fields, Cheech, Chugur Jamali were found suitable for trials. Demarcation of trial
fields was made with the help of Pakistan Oilseed Development Board official
deputed there for sunflower cultivation. Trials on management models will be
carried out at ripening stage during March 2008.
RESOURCE PERSON:
|
Mr. Amjad Pervaiz |
SSO/Director( Incharge) |
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Last updated April, 2008
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