Evaluation of three repellents for the prevention

Authors: F Santilli L Mori L Galardi

Publish Date: 2004/03/06

Volume: 50, Issue: 2, Pages: 85-89

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Abstract

The method used most extensively in Europe to prevent damage due to browsing of woody plants consists of shelter pipes made of plastic material or net This system however is not practical for plants such as olive trees where it is desirable for the branches to develop more than the trunk For this reason in an area with a high deer Dama dama population three liquid repellents were tested for their ability to prevent damage by cervids to olive seedlings Olea europaea Tree Guard and Eutrofit reduced the percentage of plants browsed with respect to the control by a statistically significant extent through the third week 545 and 409 reduction respectively while for Hot Sauce the differences did not reach significance after the first week Tree Guard and Eutrofit were also able to reduce the level of damage for the entire eight week period of the test while Hot Sauce did not differ from the control in a statistically significant manner The use of repellent substances such as Tree Guard and Eutrofit to reduce the damage caused by cervids to olive groves therefore seems a possible strategy under conditions of medium and low density of animals Eutrofit was the most economical product from the point of view of cost effectiveness

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