Grain growers wary of mice outbreaks ahead of sowing

Concerns are mounting over the impact large mice numbers in crops will have come sowing time in NSW.

Feeding frenzy: Farmers are being urged to bait straight after sowing to prevent mice incursion in their crops.

THE  devastating mice outbreak hitting NSW grain- growing areas could cause major problems in the state as sowing approaches.

NSW Farmers AG Science committee chairman Alan Brown, from Wagga Wagga, said the mice outbreak was hitting summer crops “pretty hard” and impacts were also major for those attempting to sow winter crops, as well as growers in irrigated areas.

“In general in this area it’s not so serious yet, but it’s looking like it will be because sowing time is a critical time,” Mr Brown said.

“Virtually all the sowing now is very little till or no till, and mice are adept at running along dual rows and picking up seed so that’s when the problems really begin.”

According to Mr Brown, mice numbers are at their worst further to the north.

“At the moment it’s warm and the weather is nice so they are staying out in the field,” he said.

“We are not seeing serious impacts in this area yet, but we are coming up towards long-season crops going in pretty soon.

“That’s when problems really start going up. People are concerned of the sudden build-up.”

And even a medium infestation of mice numbers could threaten crop performance this season.

“You don’t need a heavy infestation for it to be a disaster because with modern sowing methods we do very little soil disturbance so the mice know exactly where to go,” he said. Mr Brown encouraged growers to actively monitor crops and apply precautionary principles when it came to sowing time.

“When there are mice about you need to bait immediately after sowing and the bait is extremely effective because there is less food about in a freshly sown crop,” he said.

“The most effective way to use Mouse Off is immediately after sowing to spread it.”

The threat of uncontrollable mice numbers in crops during sowing has also promoted NSW Farmers to advocate for an emergency use permit for mice baits this season, Mr Brown said.

“If it gets really bad we can have farmers take their own seed and get it coated, as a backup,” he said.

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