Australian scientists from the University of Sydney have proposed a harmless way to protect crops from animal pests by using the scent of plants that some herbivores dislike. The study was published in the scientific journal magazine Nature Ecology and Evolution (NEE).
Chief writer Dr. “Herbivores cause significant damage to valuable plants in ecologically and economically sensitive areas of the world, but killing animals to protect plants may be unethical,” said Patrick Finnerty.
The team created artificial scents that mimic plant species that agricultural pests naturally avoid.
Scientists conducted an experiment in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park near Sydney. The swamp wallaby, a small marsupial from the kangaroo family, was used as a model herbivore. To test this idea, researchers synthesized the scent of Boronia pinnata, a citrus shrub that wallabies dislike. They treated the shoots of the eucalyptus Eucalyptus punctata, which kangaroos love to eat.
Tests showed that animals were 20 times less likely to eat eucalyptus seedlings coated with a composition with an unpleasant odor.
The scientific team also successfully tested the method on African elephants.
Previous attempts to lure animals away from nurseries using scented substances such as chili oil and even motor oil have not been as successful, experts say. Animals sooner or later become accustomed to the repellent and the effectiveness of the method decreases. Researchers say that the protective effect should be longer in natural fragrances.
Previously Belgian zoologists warned About the threat to the environment due to the invasion of American raccoon pests.