Rodents are a
dominant group of mammals contributing almost 42% of all the mammal species on
Earth. There are more than 2700 species of rodents worldwide. Rodents cause
immense economic losses directly by consuming, damaging and contaminating food
in the field, store throughout the food chain and in the homes. They also
damage structures, buildings, bridges, sewers and cables etc. by gnawing and
burrowing. To carry out various target specific research and extension activities
in the field of vertebrate pest management, a new centre of AINP on Vertebrate
Pest Management was created by ICAR at Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat,
Assam in 2001 with the following objectives:
1.
To conduct research on rodent bio-diversity, bio-ecology as well as crop loss
assessment under different agro ecosystems in respect of diversification of
agriculture, farming system approaches as well as climate change.
2. Development of integrated management
modules against higher vertebrates including rodent for different cropping
systems /crops
3. Impact assessment and refinement of
vertebrates (monkeys, birds and rodents) management technologies at farmers
field under social engineering activities.
Under the aegis of
this project, seven rodents species viz.
Bandicota bengalensis, B.indica, Mus musculus, M.booduga, Rattus rattus, R.sikkimensis and Dremomys
lokriah macmillani from crop ecosystem, Assam and nine species viz. B.bengalensis,
Rattus nitidus, R.sikkimensis, Niviventer niviventer,
N.fulvescens, Rattus rattus, Mus musculus, B.indica and Dremomys lokriah
macmillani from bamboo flowering areas of North-eastern region have been identified.
The project team also took the initiative and contributed substantially in
establishing the association of gregarious bamboo flowering and massive bamboo
seed fall with increasing litter size of rodents leading to famine in the
North-eastern region of the country. Moreover a new species, the Orange Bellied
Himalayan squirrel, Dremomys lokriah
macmillani belonging to order Rodentia, has been identified and reported
for the first time from Assam. This is an arboreal pest causing enormous
economic damage to the plantation crops like coconut, areca nut and other fruit
crops. Rodent infestation in different crops especially in rice (6-12%) and
vegetables (10-30%) has been estimated.
In the field of rodent
management, three numbers of proven technologies viz. an Integrated Rodent Pest Management (IRPM) approach in rice; management
of field rodents in deep water rice and mechanical control method(trunk banding
with aluminium sheet) against D. lokriah
lokriah macmillani were recommended and widely accepted by the farmers and
other stakeholders. Under eco smart management of rodents, an indigenous local
bamboo trap has been designed, tested and popularized in the name of “Maat Chitap” for managing burrowing
rodents in rice fields which is eco-friendly, cost effective and easy to
operate. Another mechanical device has been developed to manage rodents in the
traditional storage structures like “Guti
Bhoral” and “Guchi Bhoral” and
popularized as “Rat Guard”.
In extension front, more than 50 numbers of
trainings and 30 numbers of method demonstrations have been carried at various
agroecological zones of Assam. Inputs related to rodent pest management have
been distributed through “Tribal Sub Plan” programme of the project for the
benefit of the farming community. The project also splendidly contributed in
human resource development by producing 6 Ph. D. and 10 M.Sc. students as well as
published more than 80 research papers in peer reviewed journals.
Name of the trap/device: Andur Chitika
Name of the developer: Dr R K Borah
Principal Scientist & PI
AINP on VPM (Rodent Control)
Department of Entomology
AAU,Jorhat-13
Target Group: Farmers
Self life of the device: 2 years
Advantages over existing technology
Andur Chitika
• A kind of snap trap, made of bamboo
• It is used to trap field rodents
• The trap is being placed just in front of the live burrow to make rodent go in or out of the burrow through the trap
• As and when, rodent put its step on the lock lever of the trap, it got trapped within a second.
• The trap is being evaluated in rice, mustard, pulses and vegetables and the results are at par with available mechanical traps.
