Understanding mouse biology and ecology in zero- and no-till cropping systems to inform best practice crop production and mouse management practices

House mice undergo periodic and irregular outbreaks and sometime mouse plagues cause widespread damage. The new farming systems provide more cover (from retention of crop residues), more food (from increased cropping intensity) and less disturbance (from reduced tillage) meaning that mice are now living permanently in undisturbed mouse "warrens" in crops rather than retreating to crop margins as they did in the past under conventional systems when multiple ploughings were common. This has changed the face of management of mice in grain farms, as they appear to be more prevalent than in the past. There is now an increasing reliance on the use of zinc phosphide grain baits to try and control mouse populations, to such an extent that some growers are baiting mice at sowing each year irrespective of whether mice are potentially a problem or not.

This investment will explore and test a range of management practices with the aim of making practical recommendations for growers and the grains industry to enable them to better manage mice, without having to rely on applications of zinc phosphide. Through a series of ten sets of replicated experiments across the three regions (North, South and West), the impact of various management practices on mouse populations will be investigated. The investment will also evaluate the economics of the practices and the impact on profitability of growers. There will be a strong communications effort to enable growers to understand the economic thresholds of mouse populations including management practices.