On the interaction between weed and bird damage in rice

Weeds and granivorous birds are the two major biotic constraints to rice production in sub‐Saharan Africa. Anecdotal evidence advances the hypothesis that weedy fields attract granivorous birds to the extent that the joint weed × bird impact on crops is synergistic. We develop a theoretical model, b...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Demont, M., Rodenburg, J.
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: Wiley 2016
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/165267
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author Demont, M.
Rodenburg, J.
author_browse Demont, M.
Rodenburg, J.
author_facet Demont, M.
Rodenburg, J.
author_sort Demont, M.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Weeds and granivorous birds are the two major biotic constraints to rice production in sub‐Saharan Africa. Anecdotal evidence advances the hypothesis that weedy fields attract granivorous birds to the extent that the joint weed × bird impact on crops is synergistic. We develop a theoretical model, based on experimental data, of the interaction between weed and bird damage to formally test this hypothesis. We observe that the response of bird‐inflicted yield loss to weeds is unimodal and inverse‐U‐shaped. Bird‐inflicted yield loss increases from 44% in weed‐free conditions to a maximum of 55% at a critical weed infestation level of 20 g dry weight m−2. We conclude that the 11% increase in yield loss can be attributed to the synergistic interaction between weed and bird damage in rice. Our theory provides new insights into the analysis of the interaction between weeds and pests in general and supports a revision of currently accepted recommendations for weed management in rice. In areas where birds constitute an important production risk, it would be beneficial for rice farmers to remove those weeds that are tall enough to attract birds, even beyond the critical weed period.
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spelling CGSpace1652672025-05-14T10:23:47Z On the interaction between weed and bird damage in rice Demont, M. Rodenburg, J. Weeds and granivorous birds are the two major biotic constraints to rice production in sub‐Saharan Africa. Anecdotal evidence advances the hypothesis that weedy fields attract granivorous birds to the extent that the joint weed × bird impact on crops is synergistic. We develop a theoretical model, based on experimental data, of the interaction between weed and bird damage to formally test this hypothesis. We observe that the response of bird‐inflicted yield loss to weeds is unimodal and inverse‐U‐shaped. Bird‐inflicted yield loss increases from 44% in weed‐free conditions to a maximum of 55% at a critical weed infestation level of 20 g dry weight m−2. We conclude that the 11% increase in yield loss can be attributed to the synergistic interaction between weed and bird damage in rice. Our theory provides new insights into the analysis of the interaction between weeds and pests in general and supports a revision of currently accepted recommendations for weed management in rice. In areas where birds constitute an important production risk, it would be beneficial for rice farmers to remove those weeds that are tall enough to attract birds, even beyond the critical weed period. 2016-06 2024-12-19T12:54:52Z 2024-12-19T12:54:52Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/165267 en Wiley Demont, M; Rodenburg, J. 2016. On the interaction between weed and bird damage in rice. Weed Research, Volume 56 no. 3 p. 193-197
spellingShingle Demont, M.
Rodenburg, J.
On the interaction between weed and bird damage in rice
title On the interaction between weed and bird damage in rice
title_full On the interaction between weed and bird damage in rice
title_fullStr On the interaction between weed and bird damage in rice
title_full_unstemmed On the interaction between weed and bird damage in rice
title_short On the interaction between weed and bird damage in rice
title_sort on the interaction between weed and bird damage in rice
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/165267
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