The Rook (Corvus Frugilegus) can Produce Damage at Maize

Emil Georgescu¹, Lidia Cană¹, Elena Partal¹, Roxana Zaharia²

¹Institutul Național de Cercetare Dezvoltare Agricolă Fundulea
²Institutul de Cercetare-Dezvoltare pentru Protecția Plantelor București

Keywords: maize, rook, damage, seed treatment.

 Abstract: This study assessed the attack of the rooks (Corvus frugilegus) at maize plants from one experience for maize leaf weevil (Tanymecus dilaticollis) control, at NARDI Fundulea, in the years 2021 and 2022. Field assessments were made at maize emergence (BBCH 10) and four leaf stages (BBCH 14). In the spring of 2021, the rook attack was high, from plant emergence. At the control variant (untreated), more than 77 % of the maize plants were destroyed by the rooks, while at the variants treated with Beauveria bassiana bio-insecticides, at two doses, more than 78 % of maize plants were destroyed. At variant with seeds treated with neem oil, more than 21 % of maize plants were destroyed. At variants with seeds treated with active ingredients imidacloprid and cypermethrin, not a plant was attacked. In the spring of the year 2022, the rooks attack on maize plants was high. At variants with seeds treated with neem oil or treatment with Beauveria bassiana the destroyed maize plants percentage ranged from 76.05 to 82.34 %. On the opposite side were variants with seeds treated with imidacloprid and cypermethrin active ingredients where rook attacks were low or zero. Data from this study make evidence that in the absence of the maize seed treatment, the rook attack increases.
Till now this bird species was considered with neuter impact on agriculture.
This paper is the first report from the Romanian literature on higher rook attacks on maize crops, in the southeast of this country.