{"id":{"repo_id":"sdstate","oai_identifier":"oai:openprairie.sdstate.edu:etd-1472"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/sdstate/oai:openprairie.sdstate.edu:etd-1472","repository":{"repo_id":"sdstate","name":"South Dakota State University","base_url":"https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/do/oai/"},"display":{"title":"Anthraquinone Corn Seed Treatment (Avitec™) As A Feeding Repellent for Ring-Necked Pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) on Newly Planted Corn in Eastern South Dakota","abstract":"In recent years South Dakota’s ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) population has increased and, along with it, complaints from agricultural producers regarding pheasant depredation on newly planted and emerging corn have increased. Heisterberg (1984) estimated that $49 million is lost to pheasant depredation annually in the United States. Pheasants will consume the kernels of freshly planted and emerging corn plants until the plant reaches the three-leaf stage or the plant is approximately 10.2 cm tall, but may continue until the corn reaches a height of 15.2 to 25.4 cm (Hendrickson and Tellier 1943). The compound 9,10-anthraquinone is a nontoxic, naturally occurring post-ingestional irritant that produces a conditioned taste aversion when the bird experiences illness after consuming the treated kernel and associates the illness with the food (Avery 2003). AvitecTM is a 95% anthraquinone repellent that has been approved for emergency use in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan as a seed corn treatment where sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) have been damaging corn fields by eating the corn seeds shortly after planting. In 2006, a 2-year study was initiated to determine if AvitecTM is an effective pheasant repellent on germinating corn seeds. Wildlife food plantings ranging from 0.4 to 1.6-ha on both SDGFP Game Production Areas (GPA) and on private land enrolled in CRP or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) easements that had been replanted at least once as a result of corn loss to depredation in 2005 and/or 2006 were selected. Treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design where replications of treatments were randomly assigned within blocks. In 2006, mean pheasant depredation in fields treated with AvitecTM was 23.9 ± 10.04; mean pheasant depredation in control fields was 40.8 ± 10.04. In 2007, mean pheasant depredation in fields treated with AvitecTM was 5.7± 3.8; mean pheasant depredation in non-treated fields was 8.0 ± 3.8; and mean pheasant depredation in fields treated with AvitecTM plus hydrolyzed casein and hydrolyzed collagen in an attempt to reduce both pheasant and thirteen-lined ground squirrel (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus) depredation was 4.9 ± 3.8. There was no consumption of AvitecTM treated corn seed in caged feeding trials when no other feed was available or when non-treated corn seed was available. Consumption of non-treated corn seed when no other feed was available was 37.4 g ± 4.5; consumption of non-treated corn seed when treated seed was available was 37.2 g ± 4.3. AvitecTM showed significant repellency in caged feeding trials and decreased depredation in field trials. The experimental hydrolyzed casein and collagen may not be effective rodent repellents. Therefore, using anthraquinone based products may be beneficial in areas where pheasants are the primary cause of damage.","abstract_html":"In recent years South Dakota’s ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) population has increased and, along with it, complaints from agricultural producers regarding pheasant depredation on newly planted and emerging corn have increased. Heisterberg (1984) estimated that $49 million is lost to pheasant depredation annually in the United States. Pheasants will consume the kernels of freshly planted and emerging corn plants until the plant reaches the three-leaf stage or the plant is approximately 10.2 cm tall, but may continue until the corn reaches a height of 15.2 to 25.4 cm (Hendrickson and Tellier 1943). The compound 9,10-anthraquinone is a nontoxic, naturally occurring post-ingestional irritant that produces a conditioned taste aversion when the bird experiences illness after consuming the treated kernel and associates the illness with the food (Avery 2003). AvitecTM is a 95% anthraquinone repellent that has been approved for emergency use in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan as a seed corn treatment where sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) have been damaging corn fields by eating the corn seeds shortly after planting. In 2006, a 2-year study was initiated to determine if AvitecTM is an effective pheasant repellent on germinating corn seeds. Wildlife food plantings ranging from 0.4 to 1.6-ha on both SDGFP Game Production Areas (GPA) and on private land enrolled in CRP or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) easements that had been replanted at least once as a result of corn loss to depredation in 2005 and/or 2006 were selected. Treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design where replications of treatments were randomly assigned within blocks. In 2006, mean pheasant depredation in fields treated with AvitecTM was 23.9 ± 10.04; mean pheasant depredation in control fields was 40.8 ± 10.04. In 2007, mean pheasant depredation in fields treated with AvitecTM was 5.7± 3.8; mean pheasant depredation in non-treated fields was 8.0 ± 3.8; and mean pheasant depredation in fields treated with AvitecTM plus hydrolyzed casein and hydrolyzed collagen in an attempt to reduce both pheasant and thirteen-lined ground squirrel (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus) depredation was 4.9 ± 3.8. There was no consumption of AvitecTM treated corn seed in caged feeding trials when no other feed was available or when non-treated corn seed was available. Consumption of non-treated corn seed when no other feed was available was 37.4 g ± 4.5; consumption of non-treated corn seed when treated seed was available was 37.2 g ± 4.3. AvitecTM showed significant repellency in caged feeding trials and decreased depredation in field trials. The experimental hydrolyzed casein and collagen may not be effective rodent repellents. Therefore, using anthraquinone based products may be beneficial in areas where pheasants are the primary cause of damage.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Hodne-Fischer, Emily A."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science (MS)","degree_level":"Thesis - University Access Only","degree_discipline":"Wildlife and Fisheries Science","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Daniel E. Hubbard"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2009,"date_issued":"2009-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2009-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:27:58Z","subjects":["south dakota","corn seed","treatment","ring-necked pheasant","planted corn","Natural Resources and Conservation"],"languages":["en"],"rights":["Copyright © 2009 Emily A. Hodne-Fischer. All rights reserved."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/etd/472","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Daniel E. Hubbard"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Hodne-Fischer, Emily A."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Wildlife and Fisheries Science"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis - University Access Only"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (MS)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["south dakota","corn seed","treatment","ring-necked pheasant","planted corn","Natural Resources and Conservation"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["en"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright © 2009 Emily A. Hodne-Fischer. All rights reserved."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/etd/472"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["In recent years South Dakota’s ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) population has increased and, along with it, complaints from agricultural producers regarding pheasant depredation on newly planted and emerging corn have increased. Heisterberg (1984) estimated that $49 million is lost to pheasant depredation annually in the United States. Pheasants will consume the kernels of freshly planted and emerging corn plants until the plant reaches the three-leaf stage or the plant is approximately 10.2 cm tall, but may continue until the corn reaches a height of 15.2 to 25.4 cm (Hendrickson and Tellier 1943). The compound 9,10-anthraquinone is a nontoxic, naturally occurring post-ingestional irritant that produces a conditioned taste aversion when the bird experiences illness after consuming the treated kernel and associates the illness with the food (Avery 2003). AvitecTM is a 95% anthraquinone repellent that has been approved for emergency use in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan as a seed corn treatment where sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) have been damaging corn fields by eating the corn seeds shortly after planting. In 2006, a 2-year study was initiated to determine if AvitecTM is an effective pheasant repellent on germinating corn seeds. Wildlife food plantings ranging from 0.4 to 1.6-ha on both SDGFP Game Production Areas (GPA) and on private land enrolled in CRP or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) easements that had been replanted at least once as a result of corn loss to depredation in 2005 and/or 2006 were selected. Treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design where replications of treatments were randomly assigned within blocks. In 2006, mean pheasant depredation in fields treated with AvitecTM was 23.9 ± 10.04; mean pheasant depredation in control fields was 40.8 ± 10.04. In 2007, mean pheasant depredation in fields treated with AvitecTM was 5.7± 3.8; mean pheasant depredation in non-treated fields was 8.0 ± 3.8; and mean pheasant depredation in fields treated with AvitecTM plus hydrolyzed casein and hydrolyzed collagen in an attempt to reduce both pheasant and thirteen-lined ground squirrel (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus) depredation was 4.9 ± 3.8. There was no consumption of AvitecTM treated corn seed in caged feeding trials when no other feed was available or when non-treated corn seed was available. Consumption of non-treated corn seed when no other feed was available was 37.4 g ± 4.5; consumption of non-treated corn seed when treated seed was available was 37.2 g ± 4.3. AvitecTM showed significant repellency in caged feeding trials and decreased depredation in field trials. The experimental hydrolyzed casein and collagen may not be effective rodent repellents. Therefore, using anthraquinone based products may be beneficial in areas where pheasants are the primary cause of damage."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Anthraquinone Corn Seed Treatment (Avitec™) As A Feeding Repellent for Ring-Necked Pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) on Newly Planted Corn in Eastern South Dakota"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Daniel E. Hubbard"],"dc:creator":["Hodne-Fischer, Emily A."],"dc:description.abstract":["In recent years South Dakota’s ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) population has increased and, along with it, complaints from agricultural producers regarding pheasant depredation on newly planted and emerging corn have increased. Heisterberg (1984) estimated that $49 million is lost to pheasant depredation annually in the United States. Pheasants will consume the kernels of freshly planted and emerging corn plants until the plant reaches the three-leaf stage or the plant is approximately 10.2 cm tall, but may continue until the corn reaches a height of 15.2 to 25.4 cm (Hendrickson and Tellier 1943). The compound 9,10-anthraquinone is a nontoxic, naturally occurring post-ingestional irritant that produces a conditioned taste aversion when the bird experiences illness after consuming the treated kernel and associates the illness with the food (Avery 2003). AvitecTM is a 95% anthraquinone repellent that has been approved for emergency use in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan as a seed corn treatment where sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) have been damaging corn fields by eating the corn seeds shortly after planting. In 2006, a 2-year study was initiated to determine if AvitecTM is an effective pheasant repellent on germinating corn seeds. Wildlife food plantings ranging from 0.4 to 1.6-ha on both SDGFP Game Production Areas (GPA) and on private land enrolled in CRP or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) easements that had been replanted at least once as a result of corn loss to depredation in 2005 and/or 2006 were selected. Treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design where replications of treatments were randomly assigned within blocks. In 2006, mean pheasant depredation in fields treated with AvitecTM was 23.9 ± 10.04; mean pheasant depredation in control fields was 40.8 ± 10.04. In 2007, mean pheasant depredation in fields treated with AvitecTM was 5.7± 3.8; mean pheasant depredation in non-treated fields was 8.0 ± 3.8; and mean pheasant depredation in fields treated with AvitecTM plus hydrolyzed casein and hydrolyzed collagen in an attempt to reduce both pheasant and thirteen-lined ground squirrel (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus) depredation was 4.9 ± 3.8. There was no consumption of AvitecTM treated corn seed in caged feeding trials when no other feed was available or when non-treated corn seed was available. Consumption of non-treated corn seed when no other feed was available was 37.4 g ± 4.5; consumption of non-treated corn seed when treated seed was available was 37.2 g ± 4.3. AvitecTM showed significant repellency in caged feeding trials and decreased depredation in field trials. The experimental hydrolyzed casein and collagen may not be effective rodent repellents. Therefore, using anthraquinone based products may be beneficial in areas where pheasants are the primary cause of damage."],"dc:identifier":["https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/etd/472"],"dc:language":["en"],"dc:rights":["Copyright © 2009 Emily A. Hodne-Fischer. All rights reserved."],"dc:subject":["south dakota","corn seed","treatment","ring-necked pheasant","planted corn","Natural Resources and Conservation"],"dc:title":["Anthraquinone Corn Seed Treatment (Avitec™) As A Feeding Repellent for Ring-Necked Pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) on Newly Planted Corn in Eastern South Dakota"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Wildlife and Fisheries Science"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis - University Access Only"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MS)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:27:58Z"}