GRDC and partners invest $11m into CSIRO mouse management research

Research into mouse activity and the threat it presents to Australian grain growers will be boosted by a new $11 million joint investment.

The multi-million dollar investment from the Grains Research & Development Corporation and partners will fund research led by the CSIRO, allowing multi-year collaborative projects to continue.

The research, conducted by the CSIRO, is aimed at forming impact mitigation strategies by investigating how food availability and habitat quality for mice can be reduced through different farming practices as well as lowering breeding success and survival.

It also looks at the effectiveness of baiting strategies, novel bait formulations, the use of non-lethal deterrents, the impact of non-crop habitats, and the role of invertebrates in supporting the rapid population growth of mice.

GRDC pest manager Dr Leigh Nelson said that advancements in farming systems provided more cover, more food and less ground disturbance from reduced tillage for mice, which had encouraged a population boom.

“Over the years, GRDC initiatives have improved mouse surveillance techniques, refined predictive models, and promoted the widespread adoption of effective management practices through robust communication and extension activities,” she said.

“We will continue to work with key research partners such as CSIRO to tackle the challenges posed by mice to grain production through investments like those announced.”

Mouse activity will be monitored three times a year at more than 200 sites across the country, to provide region-specific data.

Research on mouse ecology and gaining a better understanding of mice in zero and no-till cropping systems will be led by senior research scientist Dr Wendy Ruscoe.

“The more we know about mouse behaviour in these systems, the more we can help grain growers reduce their economic impact through leading crop protection practice and mouse management techniques,” she said.

A GRDC mouse monitoring update released on May 5 showed a low amount of mouse abundance from the Mid West to the south coast, and a moderate mouse abundance in areas in the Mid West and Great Southern.

CSIRO research scientist Dr Peter Brown will lead ongoing monitoring of mice to predict seasonal population outbreaks throughout cropping regions including the South West, Great Southern, Mid West, and Esperance-Goldfields.

“This comprehensive portfolio of research will deliver grain growers the latest evidence-backed information on how to reduce the impact of mice in crops,” Dr Brown said.

Mice surveillance will also take place in South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland.