Coating seeds with cotton fibers for controlling bird predation of newly-planted corn

The early stages of direct-seeded crops are crucial for optimizing yield and profitable investment returns. Among biotic factors, seed and seedling predation by birds is a frequent and serious issue, especially for nutrient-rich seeds, such as corn (Zea mays L.), sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), and many other crops. In recent years, seed predation by birds is commonly controlled by treating seeds with synthetic pesticides. Because of their unfavorable environmental profile, most of these pesticides, however effective, have recently been banned, consequently requiring novel solutions. In this study, plant adaptations to reduce bird consumption of seeds were mimicked by coating seeds of a corn hybrid fully with cotton fibers and planted in two fields managed with conventional and no-till. Results from the first experimental year, 2024, showed that this seed treatment was effective in reducing bird predation by up to 92% and 90%, under conventional and no-till practices, respectively. Comparable results were obtained when the experiment was repeated in the subsequent year, with reductions up to 88% and 85%, in conventional and no-till, respectively. When seeds were only single-side covered with cotton fibers, bird predation was less effectively controlled and did not exceed 68%. These findings were confirmed when the seeds were offered to birds that were kept in captivity. Although some technical improvements are needed, the concept of covering corn seeds with cotton fibers merits further consideration as an additional solution to controlling seed predation by birds.