PB1600 Control of Voles in No-Till Corn

Voles have historically been a problem for farmers using minimum and no-till technologies to establish field corn. As land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is returned to row crops, this problem is expected to increase. Retaining established cover by no-till farming decreases erosion, improves water quality, increases wildlife habitat and conserves moisture when compared to conventional tillage practices. However, voles that have established colonies and flourished beneath the cover established under CRP, crop residue or hay crops can devastate crop plantings. Stand reductions of 80-100 percent have been reported in no-till corn where vole numbers are high.