Pattern of Damage by Rodent (Rodentia: Muridae) Pests in Wheat in Conjunction with Their Comparative Densities throughout Growth Phase of Crop

Rodents are one of the most important vertebrate pests which directly and indirectly distress to the production of crops and storage of grains. Rodents especially under the Family Muridae can cause serious damage to cereal crops of all kinds including wheat. The present investigation was conducted to observe the pattern of damage by rodent (Rrodentia: Muridae) pests in wheat in conjunction with their comparative densities throughout growth phase of crop i.e., from seedling to mature grain stage. During the crop growing season, several rodent species were involved in damaging to wheat, but variations in their predominance were detected. Of the trapped and identified pests, the lesser bandicoot rat Bandicota bengalensis Gray was the mainly prime species in the wheat fields approached by Indian gerbil Tatera indica Hardwicke, house mouse Mus musculus L., soft-furred field rat Rattus meltada Gray and short tailed mole rat Nesokia indica Gray & Hardwicke. These different rodent pests began to raid and damage the wheat crop right from sowing and continued up to the time of harvesting. Such descriptions of damage are influenced by a number of factors, for instance, relative abundance of different growth stages of crop and their relative nutritional contents, palatability, tastes, and the availability of other food in the locality. The trends of different levels of damage through wheat stem cuttings at various growth stages served primarily as an indication that rats and mice are opportunistic foragers, adjusting their preferences according to availability of food resources. This information of food habits by specific rodents is a basis for the management of their populations and to reduce the damage in the wheat fields thereby increasing the grain yield.