Survey of nature and extent of damage caused by bird pest to pearl millet crop in Patan District (North Gujarat)
Abstract
Pearl millet is the main crop of Patan district of Gujarat state. It is grown in two seasons viz. kharif and summer. This research was conducted during 2005 and 2006 at Hansapur village of Patan district. Two varieties viz. Usha-23 and Pioneer of pearl millet were sown for study purpose. During this research work, bird pests were identified, and nature of damage and assessment of losses in grain yields were carried out. The bird species observed visiting the pearl millet crop at sowing and germinating stages were House Crows (Corvus splendens), Blue Rock Pigeons (Columba livia), Cattle Egret (Ardea alba), Grey Francolin (Francolinus pondicerianus) Dove (Streptopelia decaocto), Red - wattled Lapwing (Vanellus indicus), Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis), Bank Myna (Acridotheres ginginianus), Common Babbler (Turdoides caudatus), and Yellow-eyed Babbler (Chrysomma sinense). Blue Rock Pigeon, House Crow and Grey Francolin were found damaging the germinating seeds of pearl millet. The bird damage in germinating seeds of pearl millet varied from 7.50 to 9.35(Mean=8.35%) and 4.28 to 8.87(Mean=6.05%), respectively during summer,2005-06 and kharif, 2005-06. The birds visited fields sown with pearl millet during morning hours i.e., from 6.00 to 10.00 a.m. and again in the evening from 4.00 to 6.00 p.m. but some times House Crows, Common Babbler occasionally visit the crop during noon time. The birds damaged 6.99 and 11.99 per cent of earheads during summer season and 6.96 and 18.00 per cent during kharif season in the treatment of manual bird scaring and unprotected (control) plots of pearl millet, respectively. The avoidable loss in grain yield of pearl millet varied from 8.87 to 15.73 during summer and 24.17 and 36.70 per cent during kharif season, in the treatment of manual bird scaring and unprotected (control) plots, respectively.
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