Sustainable Agriculture: Nutritional Benefits of Wheat–Soybean and Maize–Sunflower Associations for Hibernation and Reproduction of Endangered Common Hamsters

Abstract

Farmland species face many threats, including habitat loss and malnutrition during key periods of their life cycle. This is aggravated in conventionally managed monocultures, leading to nutrient deficiencies that impair the survival and reproduction of farmland wildlife. For instance, protein deficiencies in wheat or vitamin B3 deficiency in maize reduce by up to 87% the reproductive success of the critically endangered common hamster (Cricetus cricetus), a flagship species of European farmlands. It is urgent to identify and implement agricultural practices that can overcome these deficiencies and help restoring hamsters’ reproductive success. As part of a conservation program to diversify farming habitats in collaboration with farmers, we tested whether associations between wheat or maize and three supplemental crops (soybean, sunflower and fodder radish) supported hamsters’ performance during hibernation and reproduction. We observed that maize–sunflower, maize–radish and wheat–soybean associations minimized hamsters’ body mass loss during hibernation. The wheat–soybean association led to the highest reproductive success (N = 2 litters of 4.5 ± 0.7 pups with a 100% survival rate to weaning), followed by maize–sunflower and maize–radish. These crop associations offer promising opportunities to overcome nutritional deficiencies caused by cereal monocultures. Their agronomic potential should promote their implementation on a large scale and benefit farmland biodiversity beyond the common hamster.

Supplementation in vitamin B3 counteracts the negative effects of tryptophan deficiencies in bumble bees

“…Although knowledge on the pollen content in these nutrients is rare, some plants with tryptophan-rich pollens seem to be good candidates, as for instance common sunflower, summer squash ( Curcubita pepo ), alfalfa ( Medicago sativa ) and broad beans ( Vicia faba ) ( Yang et al , 2013 ; Taha et al , 2019 ). Sunflower was shown to be a proper food source to compensate for corn-related nutrient deficiencies in a vertebrate species ( Tissier et al , 2021 ). Interestingly, farmers following the Three Sisters, an agricultural cropping technique used by many first nations in North America, associated corn, squash and beans in the same system for their complementarity, already often use sunflower as a ‘fourth sister’ ( Kapayou et al , 2022 ).…”

European Ground Squirrels at the Edge: Current Distribution Status and Anticipated Impact of Climate on Europe’s Southernmost Population

“…Measures that could be beneficial to the European ground squirrel are, among others, low or no pesticide and fertilizer use, no plowing of fallows fields until October if the fields are to be cultivated next year, no burning of fallow vegetation, vegetation cut at least once annually (preferably before June), maintenance of unploughed strips at the edge of fields, intercropping, and the selection of crops that do not require dressed seeds [95,97]. Studies of another endangered, fossorial, small mammal, namely, the European hamster (Cricetus cricetus), also indicated that increasing the crop variety and farmland habitat mosaic improved the density and fitness of hamster populations [98,99]. The European ground squirrel could serve as a "flagship species" for farmland biodiversity (as they are charismatic and attractive to the public [100] and a keystone species), contributing toward sustainable agricultural landscapes.…”

Improving the success of reinforcement programs: effects of a two-week confinement in a field enclosure on the anti-predator behaviour of captive-bred European hamsters

“…In addition to conservation measures focusing on habitat restoration ( La Haye, 2013 ; Tissier et al, 2018 , 2021 ), reinforcement programs have been implemented in most western-European countries, in an effort to sustain and restore the most fragile hamster populations across Europe (the Netherlands: La Haye et al, 2010 ; Belgium: Verbist, 2008 ; and Germany: Sander & Weinhold, 2008 ). In France, a reinforcement program has been in place since 2002 but its success has varied considerably ( Villemey et al, 2013 ; Chaigne et al, 2015 ).…”