Assessing Needs for Computer Pest Management Software in Nebraska Agriculture

A mail survey was conducted to assess current computer hardware use and perceived needs of potential users for software related to crop pest management in Nebraska. Surveys were sent to University of Nebraska-Lincoln agricultural extension agents, agribusiness personnel (including independent crop consultants), and crop producers identified by extension agents as computer users. There were no differences between the groups in several aspects of computer hardware use (percentage computer use, percentage IBM-compatible computer, amount of RAM memory, percentage with hard drive, hard drive size, or monitor graphics capability). Responses were similar among the three groups in several areas that are important to crop pest management (pest identification, pest biology, treatment decision making, control options, and pesticide selection), and a majority of each group expressed the need for additional sources of such information about insects, diseases, and weeds. However, agents mentioned vertebrate pest management information as a need more often than the other two groups. Also, majorities of each group expressed an interest in using computer software, if available, to obtain information in these areas. Appropriate software to address these needs should find an audience among all three groups.

EC34-48 Farm Sheep Facts

The farm flock and the fattening of western feeder lambs are the only methods of sheep production of importance in Nebraska. The farm flock is not a major enterprise on Nebraska farms. It serves as a side line on farms having a well-drained place which sheep may call their own. This 1934 extension circular contains information on: Nebraska Sheep-industry facts; market, ewe, ram, and lamb facts; shearing and wool facts; two parasites and one pest; grading and marketing wool; and scouring and carding wool for home use.

Avian Use of Harvested Crop Fields in North Dakota During Spring Migration

Broad-spectrum herbicide applications and improved harvesting efficiency of crops have reduced the availability of weed seeds and waste grains for game and nongame wildlife. Over the last decade, corn and soybean plantings have steadily increased in the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of North Dakota, while sunflower plantings have declined. The PPR is an important corridor for migratory birds, and changes in food availabilities at stopover habitats may affect how food resources are used. In early spring 2003 and 2004, we compared bird use of harvested fields of sunflower, soybeans, small grains, and corn in the PPR of North Dakota. Across both years and all crop types, we observed 20,400 birds comprising 29 species. Flocks of Lapland Longspurs (Calcarius lapponicus) and Horned Larks (Eremophila alpestris) and flocks of Red-winged Blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) made up 60% and 15%, respectively, of the bird counts. We found that species richness and bird densities were higher in harvested sunflower fields and cornfields than in harvested small-grain and soybean fields, with soybean fields harboring the fewest species and lowest bird density. Blackbird densities tended to be lower in fields tilled after fall harvest than in fields not tilled. These results suggest that some granivorous bird populations in the Northern Great Plains could be positively affected by planting of row crops with postharvest vertical structure (e.g., sunflower, corn) and use of no-till land management practices.

Crop, Native Vegetation, and Biofuels: Response of White- Tailed Deer to Changing Management Priorities

The expansion of the cellulosic biofuels industry throughout the United States has broad-scale implications for wildlife management on public and private lands. Knowledge is limited on the effects of reverting agriculture to native grass, and vice versa, on size of home range and habitat use of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). We followed 68 radio-collared female deer from 1991 through 2004 that were residents of DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge (DNWR) in eastern Nebraska, USA. The refuge was undergoing conversion of vegetation out of row-crop agriculture and into native grass, forest, and emergent aquatic vegetation. Habitat in DNWR consisted of 30% crop in 1991 but removing crops to establish native grass and wetland habitat at DNWR resulted in a 44% reduction in crops by 2004. A decrease in the amount of crops on DNWR contributed to a decline in mean size of annual home range from 400 ha in 1991 to 200 ha in 2005 but percentage of crops in home ranges increased from 21% to 29%. Mean overlap for individuals was 77% between consecutive annual home ranges across 8 years, regardless of crop availability. Conversion of crop to native habitat will not likely result in home range abandonment but may impact disease transmission by increasing rates of contact between deer social groups that occupy adjacent areas. Future research on condition indices or changes in population parameters (e.g., recruitment) could be incorporated into the study design to assess impacts of habitat conversion for biofuel production.

Nebraska Urban Pest Management Conference

It is my very great pleasure to welcome each of you to the 14th annual Urban Pest Management Conference. I want you to know that we in the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources take seriously our role as partners with Nebraska. We are especially pleased for the partnerships we have with your industry.

Nebraska Urban Pest Management Conference

It is my very great pleasure to welcome each of you to this 16th Annual Nebraska Urban Pest Management Conference here in Lincoln. I'm John Owens, University of Nebraska Vice President and Harlan Vice Chancellor of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and I am so glad to be here with you this morning. As an entomologist, this conference certainly is one for which I have great affinity and much interest.

RP94-217 No. 18 Use of Crop Futures and Options by the Nontrader

Crop producers make a number of decisions that are market related. They may be categorized as financial decisions, production decisions, or marketing decisions. All three decisions depend on what prices are likely to be at some specific time in the future. The marketing decisions is complex. This research publication discusses the number of alternatives that are available even for the producer who does not directly buy or sell futures or options contracts.

New 2010 Crop Enterprise Budgets

The 2010 Crop Enterprise Budgets will soon be published. They will be available on the web in two places: the University of Nebraska’s “Crop Watch” website (http://cropwatch.unl.edu) in the Economics and Marketing section, and on the Agricultural Economics website at http://www.agecon.unl.edu.

REDUCTION IN RODENT POPULATIONS THROUGH INTERMITTENT CONTROL OPERATIONS IN THE CROPPING ECOSYSTEM OF THE INDIAN DESERT

Control operations at 6-month intervals, continued for four years in crop fields, reduced the rodent population to 5.08 percent losses to agricultural production. After eight crop seasons, a significant reduction in rodent density was observed in treated areas when compared with that of the control areas (P < 0.01). Correlation between pre-treatment population index (y) and number of seasons (log of x) was found to be 0.91 (P < 0.01). A relationship was established between y and x : y = 0.804.0-0.9621 log x. From this equation, it can be inferred that rodent population will reach zero level after treating crop fields continuously for6.85 or say 7.0 (seven) seasons. After control, the numbers of predominant rodents, Tatera indica, Meriones hurrianae and Rattus meltada. were significantly reduced and the residual population was composed of Mus booduga. Gerbillus spp., Rattus gleadowi. Golunda ellioti and Funambulus pennanti.

Alphabetical Index to Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings, volumes 1–21 (1962–2004)

This is a 62-page (searchable) document. Listings show all authors (arranged by 1st author), full titles, and complete citations.

SOME VERTEBRATE PEST PROBLEMS IN JAPAN

The wildlife in Japan does more damage in outbreaks in forestry than in agriculture. Hares annually damage in excess of 250 thousand acres. Voles annually damage 50 to 100 thousand acres; in some areas great damage may occur suddenly. The giant flying squirrel damages areas of replanted trees in southern areas of Japan. The Himalayan black bear strips the bark on tree trunks. In agriculture, the sparrow and the duck do an excessive amount of damage in rice fields, and the boar does conspicuous harm in the plowed fields of mountain villages. In Okinawa, sugar cane is attacked by Rattus rattus, and in some years the loss is severe. Of even greater concern is the damage done by introduced vertebrates. The gem-faced civet was imported from Taiwan. Similarly introduced from Taiwan, the tree squirrel increased on Izu-Oshima. The nutria was introduced in 1940; they escaped from cages in Southern Honshu and have increased.

CLOSING REMARKS - FOURTH VERTEBRATE PEST CONFERENCE

On behalf of the California Vertebrate Pest Committee, which sponsors these conferences, I wish to thank all of the speakers for their contribution to the program and the session chairmen who kept the meeting moving so smoothly. We would like to extend a special thanks to the speakers and participants who have come from other countries to share with us some of their knowledge concerning vertebrate pest problems and their solutions. Hopefully, the acquaintances made here and the exchange of information with our colleagues from distant places will be the beginning of long-lasting friendships and will foster better communications between those with mutual interests.

SEASONAL, HABITAT AND SEX-SPECIFIC PATTERNS OF FOOD UTILIZATION BY RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS (Agelaius phoeniceous) IN EASTERN ONTARIO AND THEIR ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE

Crop depredation by red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) causes serious economic losses to agricultural crops each year in both Canada and the United States. The concentration of vulnerable, monocultural crops, particularly corn, during periods when large flocks of blackbirds congregate in roosting areas prior to migration has invariably led to heavy feeding pressure (Stone et al., 1972; Wiens and Dyer, 1975; Tyler et al., 1978). Efforts to reduce damage levels by mechanical and chemical dispersal agents have been largely unsuccessful, at least in terms of a long-term solution to the problem. Recently, the lethal control of blackbird populations using surfactants has been proposed. However, the potential repercussions of the removal of substantial numbers of birds from northern breeding areas are virtually unknown (Robertson et al., 1978). Much of the research dealing with the feeding ecology of red-winged blackbirds has been limited to fall and winter periods when large aggregations of birds are actively involved in crop depredation (Goddad, 1969; Williams, 1976; Dolbeer et al., 1978) or pose a potential health hazard (Monroe and Cronholm, 1976). However, what is not known is the degree to which the removal of deleterious weed seed and insect pests cited in several studies (Bird and Smith, 1964; Mott et al., 1972; Robertson et al., 1978) might be of potential value to agriculture. The issue of whether the benefits derived from redwing foraging compensate for the negative aspects associated with crop depredation and health hazards remains largely unresolved. The present study attempted to evaluate the pest status of this species using diet information derived from food habits analysis conducted during the residency of red- winged blackbirds in a northern breeding area. By determining how the feeding ecology of red-winged blackbirds varies on a seasonal basis, among different breeding habitats and between sexes, we hoped to determine more realistically which segments of the population might be responsible for the greatest benefits or detriments and, thereby, more accurately evaluate the economic impact of the species as a whole. To achieve this aim, the study provides an accurate description of the common insects and weed pests utilized by redwings. By determining the relative proportions of those items known to be detrimental, we hoped to illustrate, at least qualitatively, the degree to which redwing foraging is comprised of both beneficial and harmful components.

CROP DEPREDATIONS BY WATERFOWL IN WISCONSIN

On December 5, 1965 the Governor of Wisconsin signed into law a statute permitting claims against the State for damages to crops by wild geese and ducks. This law had been rushed through the legislature in the wake of a rash of crop depredation complaints caused by Canada Geese in their off-refuge feeding flights from the Horicon National Wildlife Refuge. This paper reviews our experiences with waterfowl depredations in the development of a cooperative program by State and Federal wildlife agencies that has held a potentially serious wildlife problem to a minimum of financial losses and public relations concern.

TESTS OF BIRD DAMAGE CONTROL MEASURES IN SUDAN, 1975

The Red-billed Quelea (Quelga quelaa), because of its widespread destruction of grain crops throughout its range in Africa, is one of the most studied and written about granivorous bird species. Less publicized are more local bird pests in Africa which may be equally Important. The Village Weaver, (Ploceus cucullatus), for example, is a pest in many countries, while some other Ploecids with limited destructive habits create local problems. Significant crop losses also occur where there are large populations of Golden Sparrows (Passer luteus), House Sparrows (Passer domesticus), Red Bishops (Euplectes oryx), Doves (Streptopelia spp.), Glossy Starlings (Lamprotornis chalybaeus), Parakeets (Psittacula spp.), and some waterfowl (Mackworth-Praed and Grant, 1952; Pans Manual No. 3, 1974; Park, 1974). Crop losses from local bird pests were reported in early February 1975 to the Sudan Plant Protection Bird Control Unit of the Ministry of Agriculture. A mechanized farm scheme in Khartoum North had large concentrations of Red Bishops roosting in maize and feeding on an early-maturing wheat variety (Mexicana). Small flocks of Golden Sparrows and House Sparrows also were present. Bird damage was clearly visible, especially at the corners and along the edges of the ripening wheatfields. Ground spraying with Queletox (60% a.1. Fenthion) on roosts of the Golden and House Sparrows was conducted along hedge rows of acacia (Acacia mellifera) located at the north end of the farm. Although the spray killed large numbers of roosting birds, damage con- tinued as the wheat matured. Pilot field trials were thus organized to test the effectiveness of other crop protection techniques. Because birds fed throughout many blocks of wheat which matured at different periods, it was felt that several different experiments could be conducted without Interfering with each other. The control techniques Included an acoustical repellent, a chemical repellent, a chemical frightening agent, and a trap. The experiments, conducted from February 7 through February 23, 1975, were not designed as an integrated control operation.