INHIBITING DAMAGE OF WATERMELON (Citrulus lanatus)AGAINST SOME BIRD PESTS IN AN ORCHARD OF FAISALABAD, PAKISTAN

S. Manzoor, H. A. Khan and M. Javed

Department of Zoology and Fisheries, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad.
Corresponding author e-mail:druafhammad@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT

Present paper provides information on reducing the watermelon damage by using the distress sound player. As it is ranked as an important nutritional fruit crop of Pakistan, it is subjected to an intensive depredation by common myna (Acridotheres tristris), house crow (Corvus splendens) and house sparrow (Passer domesticus) in the unprotected conditions, causing not only severe damage but resultant economic losses. At the unguarded seedling stage, the damage was 1.192±0.023, and in protected with sound player it remained 0.200±0.014, while protected at foliage, flowering and mature stages, it remained as low as 0.130±0.007, 0.155±0.010, and 0.138±0.020, showing its effectiveness. It, therefore, suggests that use of this repellent can avert the damage not only on watermelon, but for other fruit crops, and by and large incorporation of mechanical  and that the use of similar mechanical repellents, would be useful to inhibit the damage and restrain serious and economically important bird depredations on the sustainable horticultural and agricultural crops in Pakistan.
Key words: Watermelon, Bird pests, Damage, Repellents .