Wrapping leaves around cobs to protect ripening maize from rose‐ringed parakeets

Abstract

Covering maize cobs by wrapping maize leaves around them reduced damage by rose‐ringed parakeets (Psittacula krameri) by 97% in the field and 82% in aviary experiments. Being hidden and camouflaged, the wrapped cobs may have escaped detection by birds and thus were not damaged. The wrapping treatment also provided some protection to uncovered cobs within the treated plot, possibly by reducing the density of visible cobs in this plot compared with the control. There was no adverse effect of the wrapping treatment on grain yield.

Keywords:

• Zea mays
• parakeet damage
• Pslttacula krameri
• bird management