Abstract
In North Dakota large flocks of blackbirds feed on ripening crops, after breeding and prior to migration, resulting in an annual damage estimate averaging $3.5 million for sunflower. Since the repellent needs to be ingested to be effective, one obstacle is applying sufficient repellent directly to the sunflower face. Thus, we tested efficacy of an anthraquinone-based repellent when applied via drop-nozzle to sunflower using enclosed blackbirds in a semi-natural field setting. We used a ground-rig equipped with 360 Undercover® drop nozzle sprayers to apply 20 gal/ac of solution to sunflower plots with a product application rate of 1.0 gal/ac (13% AQ). To test efficacy, we installed bird enclosures (12 x 13 x 10 ft) to house 10 captive, male red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) for 23 days on 10 treated and 10 untreated plots. The repellent did not cause birds to consume more alternative diet (i.e., red milo). Sunflower yield did not differ between treated and untreated enclosures as a result of blackbird damage. Variation in the amount of repellent reaching the face of the sunflower and subsequent residues was a limitation of the application method. Efficacy may be improved by increasing the application rate or repellent in the tank mixture, but sprayer technology and economic limitations related to repellent costs need to be considered. Future studies should aim to optimize the amount of product in tank mixtures and the repellent formulation as designed for specific pests and crops.
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Claims 4
Claim · model-written summary
Repellent did not increase blackbirds’ consumption of alternative diet.
- Taxon
- Sunflower
Helianthus annuust0 - Treatment
- repellente0
- Interactor
- Blackbird
Turdus merulat0pest - Outcome
- birds to consume more alternative diete0
- Direction
- did not causee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The repellent did not cause birds to consume more alternative diet (i.e., red milo).”
t0“Blackbird Damage to Sunflower”
Claim · model-written summary
Sunflower yield did not differ between repellent-treated and untreated enclosures after blackbird damage.
- Taxon
- SunflowerHelianthus annuuse0
- Treatment
- treatede0
- Interactor
- blackbirdTurdus merulae0pest
- Outcome
- Sunflower yielde0
- Direction
- did not differe0
- Comparator
- untreated enclosurese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Sunflower yield did not differ between treated and untreated enclosures as a result of blackbird damage.”
Claim · model-written summary
Variation in repellent deposition on sunflower faces and residues limited the application method.
- Taxon
- sunflowerHelianthus annuuse0
- Outcome
- Variation in the amount of repellent reaching the face of the sunflower and subsequent residuese0
- Qualifier
- limitation of the application methode0
Not reportedComparatorValue
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Variation in the amount of repellent reaching the face of the sunflower and subsequent residues was a limitation of the application method.”
Claim · model-written summary
Increasing application rate or tank-mix repellent may improve efficacy, subject to technology and cost limits.
- Taxon
- SunflowerHelianthus annuust0
- Outcome
- increasing the application rate or repellent in the tank mixturee0
- Qualifier
- sprayer technology and economic limitations related to repellent costse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Efficacy may be improved by increasing the application rate or repellent in the tank mixture, but sprayer technology and economic limitations related to repellent costs need to be considered.”
t0“Sunflower”