Reduction of Rose-Ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri) damage in sunflower crop in Telangana

The main bird pests of sunflower crops are rose-ringed parakeets, which can cause 20 to 50% damage and up to 90% damage in isolated regions. The 12 different species of parakeets are found all over the nation, and the rose-ringed parakeet (Psittacula krameri) is the most devastating bird pest in horticulture and agriculture. The rose-ringed parakeets (Psittacula krameri) are serious bird pests to the sunflower crop under unprotected conditions. This is mainly due to the under-crop diversification and promotion of oil seed crops leading to the increasing area of sunflower cultivation. It was observed that a high number of parakeets and other bird populations around the farmers fields and experimental crop field areas at VPM office and damaging field crops under unprotected conditions. In this study different bird control measures were implemented during Kharif-2022 season in the sunflower crop at the AINP on VPM office farm, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, Telangana state. The results of the experiment reveal that the sunflower crop protected by different methods recorded highest (1650.40 Kg/ha) in the castor oil spray plot followed by egg solution spray (1419.62Kg/ha), salt solution (1366.25 Kg/ha), ribbon (1345.90 Kg/ha) compared with unprotected control (1196.72 Kg/ha). It is suggested that various types of control measures such as castor oil, egg solution, salt solution spray, and ribbons have protected the sunflower crop, particularly during the seed setting stage to till the harvest of the crop.