Learning Activities

Key class questions or exercise

Key activities (Class and/or laboratory and/or field)

• Lecture

• Interaction during lecture

• Discussion

• Field visit and demonstration of rodent management activities

• Practical - rodent identification, sample collection, preparation for museum specimens and preservation of material for DNA sequencing.

Review questions/activities used to evaluate learning

• What is the level of impact of rodents in rice cropping systems? What role do rodents play in human disease?

• What are the basic principles of rodent IPM? What is the reality?

• Why are community actions essential for rodent management? What are the key factors for an effective use of a community trap-barrier system?

• Why is it important to understand the biology and ecology of individual rodent species?

• What are some of the key factors that influence survival and breeding of rodents in rice agricultural systems?

• Most rodent species are not pests – discuss whether they serve any useful function.

• What is the association between crop damage and rodent density; crop damage and yield loss?

Training Aids and Facilities Needed

Computer

Multimedia projector

Board and pens

ABS/TBS/CTBS set-up in the field for demonstration

Different kinds of rat traps

Flamethrower