The repelling effect of plant secondary metabolites on water voles, <i>Arvicola amphibius</i>

Fischer, Daniela; Imholt, Christian; Pelz, Hans-Joachim; Prokop, A.; Jacob, Jens

doi:10.1002/ps.3438

Cited by 25 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Microorganisms are known to play a key role in soil quality and health. In this way, the microbial biomass as well as the enzymatic activity are potential indicators of soil quality, since they are directly Cymbopogon nardus Antagonist of octopamine Dayan et al (2009) and Fischer et al (2013) correlated with the soil biology and for rapidly responding to changes due to anthropogenic and environmental action. Stimulating or inhibitory effects may be observed after the application of essential oils and/or their compounds alone, in microorganisms (Stamou et al, 2017;Vokou, 2007) and soil enzymes (Papatheodorou et al, 2014;Stamou et al, 2017).…”

Section: Botanical Pesticides: Randd Gaps and Marketmentioning

confidence: 99%

Use of botanical insecticides for sustainable agriculture: Future perspectives

Campos

Proença

Oliveira

et al. 2019

Ecological Indicators

282

144

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Recent decades have witnessed major growth in the use of agrochemicals worldwide,for maximizing the food production for a rapidly growing human population. However, the indiscriminate use of these substances especially the pesticides has led to the accumulation of toxic residues in food, soil, air, and water, as well as the development of resistance in pests. Moreover, pesticides affect soil enzymes, which are essential catalysts that govern soil quality. In order to meet the food security, it is necessary to produce more food, sustainably and safely, in a diminishing area of available arable land and with decreased water resources. Given this situation, there is an increased interest in the use of alternative substances to synthetic agrochemicals that present less risk to the environment and human health while increasing the food safety. Promising results have been obtained using compounds derived from aromatic plants for the control of agricultural pests. Such compounds of botanical origin can be highly effective, with multiple mechanisms of action, while at the same time having low toxicity towards nontarget organisms. However, the large-scale application of these substances for pest control is limited by their poor stability and other technological issues. In this backdrop, the present work discusses perspectives for the use of compounds of botanical origin, as well as strategies employing the encapsulation techniques that can contribute to the development of systems for use in sustainable agricultural practices.

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Section: Botanical Pesticides: Randd Gaps and Marketmentioning

confidence: 99%

Use of botanical insecticides for sustainable agriculture: Future perspectives

Campos

Proença

Oliveira

et al. 2019

Ecological Indicators

282

144

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“…For example, Pelz (1989) has shown that wood mice [Apodemus sylvaticus (Linnaeus, 1758)] can be lured away from sugar beet seeds by providing an attractive alternative food adjacent to the newly planted crop and concentrated volatiles may drive rodents away from fields or other structures (e.g. Curtis et al 2002;Fischer et al 2013aFischer et al , 2015.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Like or dislike: Response of rodents to the odor of plant secondary metabolites

Hansen

Stolter

Imholt

et al. 2017

Integrative Zoology

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Rodents, including common voles (Microtus arvalis) and house mice (Mus musculus) cause immense pre‐harvest and post‐harvest losses. Therefore, developing methods that mitigate these losses while maintaining their role in ecosystems is a priority. Several plant secondary metabolites (PSM) which significantly reduce food intake of both species under laboratory conditions have been identified. However, before these can be used in rodent pest management, they must be tested under more natural conditions where other food sources are available. In this study, the odors of 4 PSMs were evaluated for their repellent effects in experiments conducted in semi‐natural enclosures. Soil treated with PSMs or untreated soil (experimental control) was placed in an underground box containing food (rolled oats). We quantified the number of visits to each box and could demonstrate that all 4 PSMs reduced the number of visits to treatment boxes in both rodent species. For common voles the combination of methyl nonyl ketone + black pepper oil was the most repellent PSM. House mice made fewer visits to all PSM boxes; boxes with the anthraquinone were visited least. Furthermore, house mice consumed less food from boxes containing soil treated with all 4 PSMs. Our results suggest that PSMs are repellent in murid and microtine rodents under semi‐field conditions. In addition, the future use of PSM odors for repelling both pest species, especially house mice, seems promising. Further investigations with other PSMs, different concentrations as well as alternative application methods are needed to repel common voles from attractive crops.

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“…Scotch broom is known to be an allelopathic shrub that produces a set of different alkaloid compounds (Gresser et al, 1996;Grove et al, 2012). Further analyses should be conducted to investigate whether these shrubs can effectively alter the feeding behavior of rodents, as has already been shown for other plants (Curtis et al, 2002;Fischer et al, 2013;Hansen et al, 2016).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Microsite manipulation in lowland oak forest restoration results in indirect effects on acorn predation

Enri

Lingua

Meloni

et al. 2018

Forest Ecology and Management

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Taking advantage of facilitation mechanisms to counteract harsh environmental conditions may prove to be a successful strategy in the restoration of degraded man-made ecosystems. Seed sowing is often a viable and less expensive technique to restore forest cover in environments subjected to heavy anthropic disturbance. In this context, nurse plants and shield objects can improve microsite conditions, enhancing the emergence and growth of seedlings. However, their presence can also create preferred microhabitats for seed predators, and as a result, may alter their movement decisions and foraging behavior. In this study, we investigated whether nurse shrubs and artificial shade structures, with and without previous soil amelioration, could facilitate acorn emergence. We also tested their effects on the predation of acorns by small mammals, within the framework of a larger project aimed at restoring a Quercus robur L. forest. The research was conducted in a former roadbuilder's yard located along the Mediterranean Corridor, in Northern Italy. The yard had been in use during the widening of a highway that runs parallel to a stretch of the Corridor. The area was restored in 2014. Mechanical preparation of the soil included two treatments, with and without the addition of compost and zeolitite. Acorns were then sown in plots in different microsites, i.e., 1) close to a shrub (Cytisus scoparius L., Scotch broom), 2) to the north and 3) south of a shield object (a 30 cm x 30 cm wood particle board), and 4) without any protection element (control). We recorded acorn emergence and predation during the first growing season. At the end of the season, overall acorn emergence was observed to be low, and, surprisingly, was higher in the non-amended soil treatment. The amended soil had a higher temperature and a lower water volumetric content in the summer (JJA). No evidence of direct facilitation on emergence by shield objects or Scotch broom was found, but indirect effects were detected. Acorn predation was generally high (67.45%), but was negatively affected by the presence of C. scoparius. The distance of the plot from the rainwater drainage ditch surrounding the study site also influenced winter predation; a larger number of acorns were removed by rodents at longer distances from the drainage ditch. In order to restore degraded sites to lowland oak forests through direct seeding, it is necessary to deal with complex interactions between direct and indirect facilitation mechanisms, competition and predation. Predation was particularly important because of the high predation pressure on acorns.

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The repelling effect of plant secondary metabolites on water voles, Arvicola amphibius

Abstract: The identification of an effective water vole repellent could help to reduce damage to crops. It may also minimise the use of kill traps and of rodenticides, which will be of benefit for non-target organisms.

Cited by 25 publications

References 30 publications

Use of botanical insecticides for sustainable agriculture: Future perspectives

Use of botanical insecticides for sustainable agriculture: Future perspectives

Like or dislike: Response of rodents to the odor of plant secondary metabolites

Microsite manipulation in lowland oak forest restoration results in indirect effects on acorn predation

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