Non-chemical methods for managing rodent pests in organic carrot cultivation (MäuseMöhre)
Approximately every three to five years, field mice in particular infest agricultural and forestry areas in many parts of Germany en masse, causing considerable economic damage. Time and again, arable, vegetable, and fruit farmers suffer significant problems due to field mice. Mass reproduction occurs synchronously across large areas of Germany in some cases, leading to mass infestation of agricultural land.
Rodent damage to horticultural crops is by far the most significant damage caused by vertebrates. Rodent infestation in vegetable cultivation can lead to total crop failure over large areas. In carrot and potato cultivation, mouse damage can lead to considerable losses of up to 50-100%, as gnawed carrots and potatoes are not marketable.
The considerable economic losses caused by field mice and other rodent species (e.g., wood mice) require measures to regulate their populations. In organic farming, the use of chemical rodenticides is not possible and non-chemical methods must be used. However, there are few or no validated non-chemical options in vegetable cultivation to control damage caused by rodents, or their effectiveness is considered to be low. Measures to repel (scarecrows, repellents), biological control (birds of prey, terrestrial predators), etc. are usually ineffective for vertebrates. There is therefore an urgent need to (further) develop non-chemical alternatives to reduce population size and/or minimize rodents’ access to crops.
Project priorities
The aim of the MäuseMöhre project is to develop non-chemical measures for managing rodents in organic farming and to test them under practical conditions. The focus is on the development and refinement of low-risk plant protection methods, cultivation techniques, and the transfer of knowledge into practice. The results will be used to validate non-chemical methods for managing rodent pests in carrot cultivation and to provide cost-benefit assessments for these methods. This should make a significant contribution to the implementation of integrated pest management in rodent pest management.
Project region
Sachsen-Anhalt