Assessment of rodent damage to stored maize (<i>Zea mays</i>L.) on smallholder farms in Tanzania

Mdangi, Mashaka; Mulungu, Loth S.; Massawe, Apia W.; Eiseb, Seth J.; Tutjavi, Vassana; Kirsten, F.; Mahlaba, Themb’alilahlwa A. M.; Malebane, Phanuel; Maltitz, Emil Von; Monadjem, Ara; Dlamini, Nomfundo; Makundi, Rhodes H.; Belmain, Steven R.

doi:10.1080/09670874.2012.744495

Cited by 35 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 4 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The few similar on-farm studies carried out in Africa (Mdangi et al 2013) and Asia (Brown et al 2013) broadly support this conclusion. Existing storage structures used in Bangladesh and Myanmar are clearly not rodent-proof leading to significant levels of loss, damage and contamination that contributes to food insecurity, poor nutrition (seed germ removal), and potential disease transmission through rodent urine, faeces and saliva.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 67%

“…Unfortunately, similar studies on the impact of rodents in post-harvest systems have not received the same level of attention (John 2014;Meyer 1994;Singleton 2003). Measuring the impact of rodents on stored grain is a challenge because rodents can physically remove grain from stores and also partially eat grains (Mdangi et al 2013). It is also problematic to estimate the density of rodent populations in and around grain stores in villages or in urban areas because generally their nesting sites and foraging activities include other habitats.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Estimating rodent losses to stored rice as a means to assess efficacy of rodent management

Belmain

Htwe

Kamal³

et al. 2015

Wildl. Res.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Context. Post-harvest losses by rodents have traditionally been calculated by estimates of consumption determined in the laboratory. Methods for assessing storage losses by rodents under small-holder conditions will help farmers and policy makers understand the impact rodents may have on food security, nutrition and health. Stored product loss assessment methods could also be used to monitor the effects of rodent control in villages.Aims. The present study examined a method to measure the amount of rice eaten by rodents in household granaries. The effects of trapping and better hygiene around granaries to reduce rodent populations were investigated using the post-harvest monitoring method to determine whether the programme was successful in lowering rodent numbers sufficiently to reduce post-harvest losses.Methods. Baskets with known quantities of rice were placed within household granaries and periodically monitored for moisture content, weight loss, faecal contamination and percentage of rodent-damaged grains. Using an empirical treatment-control study, rodent management was carried out at the community level through daily trapping in two Bangladesh villages and in Myanmar at the granary storehouse level. Post-harvest losses were monitored in villages/granaries with rodent management and in similar villages/granaries where there was no management. Key results.Estimates of household losses in the absence of rodent control were 2.5% in Bangladesh and 17% in Myanmar. These losses were reduced when rodent control was implemented, down to 0.5% in Bangladesh and 5% in Myanmar.Conclusions. The impact of rodents on small-holder storage can be accurately assessed in the field under realistic conditions. Intensive daily trapping at the community level together with improved hygiene practices can successfully reduce rodent numbers and this can significantly reduce stored grain losses and rodent contamination and damage levels.Implications. In addition to the threat of rodent pests during crop production, rodents are a major threat to food security after harvest and have, as of yet, unquantified impacts on household nutrition and health through potential transmission of gastro-enteric diseases and zoonoses to householders 2 and domestic livestock. Trapping and environmental management are affordable and effective tools to reduce rodent impacts on stored grain within communities and are viable alternatives to rodenticides.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 67%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimating rodent losses to stored rice as a means to assess efficacy of rodent management

Belmain

Htwe

Kamal³

et al. 2015

Wildl. Res.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In Pakistan, it is the staple food grain and people store it in their houses for usage throughout the year. As in previous studies, rodents have been reported to cause severe damage to the stored grain in rural communities of developing countries (Brown et al 2013;Mdangi et al 2013).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 91%

Diet analysis of small mammal pests: A comparison of molecular and microhistological methods

Khanam

Howitt

Mushtaq

et al. 2016

Integrative Zoology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Knowledge of what pest species are eating is important to determine their impact on stored food products and to plan management strategies accordingly. In this study, we investigated the food habits of 2 rodents, Rattus rattus (ship rat) and Mus musculus castaneus (house mouse) as well as an insectivore, Suncus murinus (shrew), present in human dwellings. Both a microhistological approach and a DNA barcoding approach were used in the present study. Following DNA extraction, amplification was performed using group-specific primers targeting birds, plants and invertebrates. Resulting polymerase chain reaction products were sequenced and analyzed to identify the different prey species present in the gut contents. The findings from the application of both techniques were in agreement, but the detection of prey type with each technique was different. The DNA barcoding approach gave greater species-level identification when compared to the microhistological method, especially for the invertebrate and avian prey. Overall, with both techniques, 23 prey taxa were identified in the gut contents of the 3 species, including 15 plants, 7 insects and a single bird species. We conclude that with a selection of suitable "barcode genes" and optimization of polymerase chain reaction protocols, DNA barcoding can provide more accurate and faster results. Prey detection from either technique alone can bias the dietary information. Hence, combining prey information of both microhistological analysis and DNA barcoding is recommended to study pest diet, especially if the pest is an omnivore or insectivore species.

show abstract

“…In Bangladesh, the amount of stored losses of rice grain depended on the different storage structure, sanitation around the storage area, the duration of storage and the population density of the main rodent species in that area . The establishment of well‐coordinated community trapping campaigns and improvements in both hygiene around villages and rodent‐proofing of grain stores have proven to be effective in substantially reducing post‐harvest losses caused by rodents . Most of the grain stores in the delta region of Myanmar are raised at least 1 m above the ground.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Post-harvest impacts of rodents in Myanmar; how much rice do they eat and damage?

Htwe

Singleton

Maw³

2016

Pest. Manag. Sci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Assessment of rodent damage to stored maize (Zea maysL.) on smallholder farms in Tanzania

Cited by 35 publications

References 4 publications

Estimating rodent losses to stored rice as a means to assess efficacy of rodent management

Estimating rodent losses to stored rice as a means to assess efficacy of rodent management

Diet analysis of small mammal pests: A comparison of molecular and microhistological methods

Post-harvest impacts of rodents in Myanmar; how much rice do they eat and damage?

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About