Using an understanding of mouse ecology and behaviour to direct crop protection management

Over the past 10-20 years, Australian farming systems have evolved significantly with the adoption of conservation agriculture techniques like minimum tillage, stubble retention, and diversified crop rotations. These methods have enhanced profitability, disrupted disease cycles, and improved soil health, contributing to the resilience and sustainability of Australian grain farming. However, these changes have also inadvertently boosted pest problems, particularly with feral house mice (Mus domesticus), which now thrive in the undisturbed environments of modern farms, leading to more frequent outbreaks. To address this, farmers increasingly rely on zinc phosphide grain baits, but there's a need to explore a variety of strategies to mitigate mouse impacts on grain farms. This includes reducing food sources, crop cover, and mouse burrows, as well as improving overall mouse management through a deeper understanding of their interactions with the farming ecosystem. The investment aims to investigate these strategies and offer actionable recommendations to reduce the economic burden of mice on grain crops.