SURVEY AND POPULATION DENSITY OF RODENTS IN SUGAR CANE FIELD IN SOHAG GOVERNORATE, EGYPT
ABD EL-ALEEM S. S. DESOKY *
Department of Plant Protection (Agricultural Zoology), Faculty of Agriculture, Sohag University, Egypt.
ABDEL - LATIEF A. ABAZAID
Sugar Crops Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center, Egypt.
MAHMOUD M. K. ALI
Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Sohag University, Egypt.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Sugar cane crop is one of the main crops in Egypt, so the study was conducted to survey and distribute rodents in sugar cane plantations in the village of Shandweel island in Sohag Governorate, Egypt, during two consecutive years 2018-2019.
The results showed that there are three types of rodents spread in sugar cane crops in the area of study, which are: the Nile mouse, Arvicanthis niloticus, the house mouse Mus musculus, and the white-bellied mouse, Rattus rattus frugivorous.
The results also showed the Nile grass rat. A. niloticus represented by (60.29%) in the first year and (55.24%) in the second year. the percentage of occurrence of the house mouse, Mus musculus was (36.76%) in the first year and (41.25%) in the second year. The white bellied rat, R. r. fugivorus represented by (2.94%) in the first year and (3.49%) in the second year. The autumn season was the most suitable for rodent species followed by spring, summer and winter. Determining the rodent species and their population density during the seasons of the year in sugar cane plantations. It is useful in determining the most appropriate method and date for control them.
Keywords: Arvicanthis niloticus, Mus Musculus, Rattus rattus frugivorus, rodents, sugar cane.