Abstract

Rodents are one of the serious pests of rice crop. Various chemical and mechanical methods of control of the rodents have been tried by many workers, but none of them proved effective, especially for protecting the crop from migratory rats. Hence the efficacy of providing electric fence, for pre- venting rat damage in rice crop was tested at the Regional Agricultural Research Station, Aduthurai during 1969 and 1970. The results are presented hereunder. Electric fence is being used in the western countries for preventing wild animals from entering cultivated fields. It, is also in use for regulating grazing space in the pasture lands. The electric fence energised by battery is in use at the International Rice Research Institute, Philippines and is found useful for preventing the rat damage to rice crop (I.R.R.I. Annual Report, 1965) There is also a report of the efficient use of the electric fence in the Bangkok Rice Experiment Station at Thailand, for protecting rice crop from field rats (Anon., 1967).

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