_cover_small.jpg "Issue Cover Image")
Consumption of rice seed in a Louisiana soil by Procambarus clarkii
McClain WR 
Published Online: 12/31/2015
Abstract
Crayfish often reduce stands of cultivated rice by damaging young foliage or consuming rice seed, especially under water seeding practices where seeds lie near the soil surface. The ability of Procambarus clarkii (Girard) to locate and consume rice seed beneath the soil surface under simulated drill-seeding conditions was investigated. Thirty-six plastic tanks (38 L) filled with soil, groundwater, and individual mature crayfish were used in each of two trials. Rice seed was positioned at various depths prior to filling, representing six treatments (with six replicates) per trial. Loose soil was used in trial 1 and settled soil was used in trial 2. Crayfish were allowed to forage for 2 days, after which the soil was filtered to recover uneaten seed. With seed positioned up to 25 mm deep in trial 1, mean seed consumption was 91% with no significant differences among treatments. In trial 2 where the range of seed depth was greater, mean consumption varied from 31 to 97%. The ability of crayfish to locate rice seed deeper than 25 mm was reduced, yet some of the seed was consumed even at depths up to 76 mm. These results suggest that crayfish are adept at finding and consuming rice seed well beneath the soil surface, which may have both negative and positive implications when crayfish are present in cultivated rice systems.
Supplemental Documents
There are no supplementary documents for this article
Cited By
0 Citations:
How to Cite
McClain WR. (2015). Consumption of rice seed in a Louisiana soil by Procambarus clarkii. Freshwater Crayfish 21(1):143-146. doi: 10.5869/fc.2015.v21-1.143
Author Information
W. R. McClain,* LSU Agricultural Center, Louisiana State University, Rice Research Station, 1373 Caffey Road,Rayne, Louisiana, USA70578. E-mail: rmcclain@agcenter.lsu.edu
Corresponding Author indicated by an *.
Publication History
Manuscript Submitted: 6/11/2015
Manuscript Accepted: 10/22/2015
Published Online: 12/31/2015
Published in Print: 12/31/2015
Funding Information
No specific funding statement is available for this article.