Ecologically-based rodent management: its effectiveness in cropping systems in South-East Asia

Abstract

Ecologically-based rodent management (EBRM) has re-emerged as a paradigm for large scale rodent management campaigns. This concept has been tested in replicated, village-scale experiments over 4 years on rodent pests in lowland irrigated rice crops. In Indonesia, villages that practised EBRM had a mean increase in rice yield of 6%, whereas production levels were maintained in Vietnam but control costs were reduced. In both countries there was a substantial reduction in rodenticide use in villages practising EBRM. These studies provide strong evidence of the effectiveness of EBRM. The findings also highlighted the need to include end-users early in the development of management strategies. Lessons learned from these studies were extrapolated to the development of strategies for rodent management in intensive organic piggeries and poultry holdings in Europe. The challenge for these producers is not only the identification and then integration of different management actions based on our understanding of the ecology of specific rodent species, but also the integration of ecology, sociology and economics.