Spatial arrangement of silo bags is key to mitigate damage by wildlife

Abstract

Background: Silo bag is a major harvest storage option in many countries worldwide. Wildlife interacts with this new element in the rural landscape. As a result, wildlife activity could generate breaks in silo bag lining, causing losses to the stored content. The aim of this study was to analyze the damage in silo bags by large hairy armadillos (Chaetophractus villosus) according to different spatial arrangements of silo bags, in order to propose a management strategy to reduce the damage. Our prediction was that silo bags arranged in a cluster would have less damage by large hairy armadillos than bags arranged in a row or than single (isolated) bags at a certain plot. In addition, we expected that in a cluster the exposed outside of the bags would show increased damage compared to the inside of the cluster. Results: We measured 294 silo bags. Damage intensity (number of breaks/100 m silo bag perimeter) in silo bags arranged in a cluster was 72% lower than in bags arranged in a row (P = 0.03), and 77% lower than in single bags (P = 0.001). Moreover, we detected that damage intensity inside was 75% lower than outside of a cluster (P = 0.001). Conclusion: We propose grouping in a cluster of parallel bags instead of installing them in a row or isolated bags at plot as a strategy that could be adopted and implemented by farmers in order to reduce the damage by large hairy armadillos, the most harmful wildlife species to silo bags in Argentina.