Abstract
One of the constraints to crop production across the world is vertebrate
pests. They have been implicated as the most destructive pests which inflict both pre-harvest and post-harvest damages on agricultural production. Legumes are one of the
crops usually attacked by vertebrate pest species, though the degree of depredation
varies from one crop type to another. Meanwhile, there has been a misconception
among farmers, especially in some of the developing countries, that vertebrate pest
species belonging to the order Rodentia are very difficult to control. This is evident in
their crop cultivations whereby two rows are planted in addition to every eight rows of
crop, for rodent pest species that may come and inflict damage on the cultivated crop.
Some of the rodent pest species that cause economic damage to legumes on the field
include Arvicanthis niloticus, Xerus erythropus, Cricetomys gambianus, Rattus rattus,
R. norvegicus, and Mus sp., while avian pest species include Francolinus bicalcaratus,
and Ploceus cucullatus. There is a need to effectively manage these vertebrate pest
species. Some of the rodent pest management approaches include the use of sanitation
measures, exclusion of the vertebrate pest species, and modification of their habitat,
and Trap Barrier System, while some of the avian pest management approaches include
cage, nets or synthetic fibres, bird scarers, chemical repellents, sound-making devices,
chemical poisoning, and trapping.