Evaluation of Flight Control® to reduce blackbird damage to newly planted rice in Louisiana

Blackbirds cause extensive damage to newly planted and ripening rice. To date there is not a registered bird repellent for reducing this damage. We evaluated Flight ControlK, a 50' anthraquinone product, as a potential repellent to blackbirds in cagc and field tests in Louisiana. In oneand no-choice cage tests, brown-headed cowbird and red-winged blackbird consumption of 2%) Flight controlR treated ricc seed was significantly reduced. In a subsequent field tcst. 2% Flight controlR was effective in reducing blackbird damage (P = 0.001 ) to newly planted ricc seed. Chemical residues at 7 days post-planting averaged 0.66% anthraquinone. Further field testing is warranted. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.