**1. Introduction**

362 Pesticides in the Modern World - Risks and Benefits

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This chapter discusses the development of a mitigation measure against impacts caused by the ingestion of poisoned seeds by insecticides like carbofuran and carbosulfan in wheat, corn and rice fields.

In accordance with Brazilian Federal Decree nº 4.074 of January 2002, agrotoxins should be added to seeds mixed with dye to avoid the risk of being ingested by humans. The toxic dye rhodamine B, whose reddish-purple colour has been used for this purpose, it's apparent and attractive to granivorous wild birds such as Columbidae and Icterinae.

Fig. 1. Eared-dove (*Zenaida auriculata*) fatally poisoned by eating weath treated with carbofuran and rhodamine B. Harvested crops are attractive to the granivorous birds and may increase the mortality rates during the next sowing.

Camouflage of Seeds, a Control Method of the Bird Mortality in Grain Crops 365

Fig. 3. Camouflaged seeds in the absence of irregularities in the surface soil can be more conspicuous to the birds. Note that the color and roughness of the camouflage, conferred by

However, seeds with aposematic and/or aversive colors become very conspicuous, which may represent a high risk of mortality. This can be inferred, considering that, despite the lack of consumption of blue color seeds in some experiments (Hartley et al., 1999, 2000, Almeida et al. 2010b) the use of carbofuran in the granular formulation of the same color has been banned in Virginia, USA and Canada, due to bird mortality caused by direct ingestion

Moreover, there has been no communication observed between poisoned birds and healthy ones, that could stop the consumption, even when expressive mortality rates occur and in the presence of obvious agonistic behaviors caused by the ingestion of seeds treated with carbofuran, methiocarb carbosulfan or in combination with conspicuous colors such as beige and red (Almeida et al., 2010a; Almeida & Almeida, in press). In these experiments, it was noteworthy that gustative repellents (carbosulfan and methiocarb) were superseded by the fact that carbofuran has the unpleasant distinction of being so hazardous to wildlife, that it simply cannot be effectively regulated or managed accordingly without mortality risk occur (Richards & Mineau, in press). However, the camouflage of seeds (Figures 3 and 4) has been presented as a method capable of significant reducing the mortality of birds in comparison with the traditional way of planting seeds treated with carbofuran and rhodamine B, and compared to other possible mitigation alternatives, such as gustative repellents and/or conspicuous colors, which could be aposematic, leading to neophobia and aversion by birds

A cryptic species is one whose color and/or morphology resemble relevant aspects of the habitat where it lives. The ecological literature is rich in documentation of cryptic species that can survive in the presence of predators. The ability of many species of reptiles, amphibians and fish to change their pigmentation according to the substrate where they are found, it is indicative of the remarkable evolutionary success of cryptic behavior, which is

The Bionics, defined as: ´Living creatures science-based ', which one of the most oldest and best know applications is the camouflage, whose inspiration would come from the ability of

the dye powder, help hide the seeds in the soil.

(Almeida et al., 2010a, b; Almeida & Almeida, in press).

of the product (Almeida et al., 2010b).

common in nature.

Seeds treated with carbofuran and rhodamine B, which are not completely covered during mechanical seeding, are picked up by granivorous birds foraging for food. This leads to direct mortality (Figures 1, 2, 7, 11) by deliberate ingestion or secondary poisoning if predators ingest these poisoned preys. This problem is not confined to Brazil but is also an issue in several countries where seeds covered with agrotoxins are used.

Most measures to mitigate the damage caused by birds attacking the production and / or mitigation of the mortality of birds by the use of pesticides, has been to repel the birds of the site, avoiding the consumption of seeds by acoustic, tactile, visual and/or gustative repellents. However, the use of repellents spend resources of high operational and financial costs, has not produced satisfactory results and often violates humanitarian principles causing injury and suffering to the birds.

Despite these findings and public criticism, several recent studies evolve in this direction (Tobin, 2002), seeking chemical repellents and/or color repellents to reduce the damage to production and reduce the risk of pesticide poisoning wildlife (Avery, 2002).

Fig. 2. Rufous–collared sparrow (*Zonotrichia capensis*) killed by eating poisoned wheat seeds treated with carbofuran and rhodamine B, which can be seen beside the bird.

Poorly developed sense of taste is a plausible hypothesis to explain the limited results of some authors, using chemical repellents in the absence of alternative food sources for birds: Avery et al. (1998) with anthraquinone, Moran (2001) metil antranilato, Almeida et al. (2010a) with carbosulfan, Almeida & Almeida (in press) employing carbosulfan and methiocarb. Taking the example of these cases, when grain stained with 'aversive' colors were used, there were also ingestion rates (Avery et al., 1999, Hartley et al., 1999, 2000) which can result in high mortality rates in situations where the density of birds is high. The combination of chemical repellents for aversive colors has generated more effective results as a method of controlling agricultural damage (Avery & Mason, 1997; Nelms & Avery, 1997).

Seeds treated with carbofuran and rhodamine B, which are not completely covered during mechanical seeding, are picked up by granivorous birds foraging for food. This leads to direct mortality (Figures 1, 2, 7, 11) by deliberate ingestion or secondary poisoning if predators ingest these poisoned preys. This problem is not confined to Brazil but is also an

Most measures to mitigate the damage caused by birds attacking the production and / or mitigation of the mortality of birds by the use of pesticides, has been to repel the birds of the site, avoiding the consumption of seeds by acoustic, tactile, visual and/or gustative repellents. However, the use of repellents spend resources of high operational and financial costs, has not produced satisfactory results and often violates humanitarian principles

Despite these findings and public criticism, several recent studies evolve in this direction (Tobin, 2002), seeking chemical repellents and/or color repellents to reduce the damage to

Fig. 2. Rufous–collared sparrow (*Zonotrichia capensis*) killed by eating poisoned wheat seeds

Poorly developed sense of taste is a plausible hypothesis to explain the limited results of some authors, using chemical repellents in the absence of alternative food sources for birds: Avery et al. (1998) with anthraquinone, Moran (2001) metil antranilato, Almeida et al. (2010a) with carbosulfan, Almeida & Almeida (in press) employing carbosulfan and methiocarb. Taking the example of these cases, when grain stained with 'aversive' colors were used, there were also ingestion rates (Avery et al., 1999, Hartley et al., 1999, 2000) which can result in high mortality rates in situations where the density of birds is high. The combination of chemical repellents for aversive colors has generated more effective results as a method of controlling agricultural

treated with carbofuran and rhodamine B, which can be seen beside the bird.

damage (Avery & Mason, 1997; Nelms & Avery, 1997).

issue in several countries where seeds covered with agrotoxins are used.

production and reduce the risk of pesticide poisoning wildlife (Avery, 2002).

causing injury and suffering to the birds.

Fig. 3. Camouflaged seeds in the absence of irregularities in the surface soil can be more conspicuous to the birds. Note that the color and roughness of the camouflage, conferred by the dye powder, help hide the seeds in the soil.

However, seeds with aposematic and/or aversive colors become very conspicuous, which may represent a high risk of mortality. This can be inferred, considering that, despite the lack of consumption of blue color seeds in some experiments (Hartley et al., 1999, 2000, Almeida et al. 2010b) the use of carbofuran in the granular formulation of the same color has been banned in Virginia, USA and Canada, due to bird mortality caused by direct ingestion of the product (Almeida et al., 2010b).

Moreover, there has been no communication observed between poisoned birds and healthy ones, that could stop the consumption, even when expressive mortality rates occur and in the presence of obvious agonistic behaviors caused by the ingestion of seeds treated with carbofuran, methiocarb carbosulfan or in combination with conspicuous colors such as beige and red (Almeida et al., 2010a; Almeida & Almeida, in press). In these experiments, it was noteworthy that gustative repellents (carbosulfan and methiocarb) were superseded by the fact that carbofuran has the unpleasant distinction of being so hazardous to wildlife, that it simply cannot be effectively regulated or managed accordingly without mortality risk occur (Richards & Mineau, in press). However, the camouflage of seeds (Figures 3 and 4) has been presented as a method capable of significant reducing the mortality of birds in comparison with the traditional way of planting seeds treated with carbofuran and rhodamine B, and compared to other possible mitigation alternatives, such as gustative repellents and/or conspicuous colors, which could be aposematic, leading to neophobia and aversion by birds (Almeida et al., 2010a, b; Almeida & Almeida, in press).

A cryptic species is one whose color and/or morphology resemble relevant aspects of the habitat where it lives. The ecological literature is rich in documentation of cryptic species that can survive in the presence of predators. The ability of many species of reptiles, amphibians and fish to change their pigmentation according to the substrate where they are found, it is indicative of the remarkable evolutionary success of cryptic behavior, which is common in nature.

The Bionics, defined as: ´Living creatures science-based ', which one of the most oldest and best know applications is the camouflage, whose inspiration would come from the ability of

Camouflage of Seeds, a Control Method of the Bird Mortality in Grain Crops 367

However, before, results of research on the effectiveness of the forms of mitigation that has been tested, among which different types of camouflage, whose forms of development and

The mitigation method will be contextualized regarding the impacts caused by the usual ways of planting wheat and corn with seeds poisoned by carbamates pesticides, such as carbofuran and carbosulfan. Then we will present a discussion on results obtained with different types of ingredients, used in preparing camouflage, regarding the effectiveness of camouflage, cover durability and environmental factors that influence the trial in

Finally, there will be a discussion about determinant factors of the camouflage effectiveness in some species in experimental conditions, explaining the results obtained by this research.

An study consolidating three experiments was conducted in Paraná and São Paulo States to evaluate if camouflaged seeds could minimize the mortality of wild birds, caused by the ingestion of commercial seeds treated with pesticides and rhodamine B (Almeida et al., 2010a). When put all together, the three experiments were summing up to 15,896 kg of seeds, sowed in 111.46 hectares. Alternative strategies for reducing mortality, like the use of carbofuran without rhodamine B and the use of carbosulfan. Carbofuran without rhodamine B gives a 'beige' hue to seeds and could make them less attractive to birds, representing economic savings at planting. Carbosulfan, a carbamate with insecticidal and nematicidal properties and with a lethal dose circa 20 times weaker than carbofuran, could act as a chemical repellent if the birds were able to link the poisoning symptoms to the food,

Experiments in rice and wheat plantations were performed in regions where mortality of birds, coming from the ingestion of seeds treated with pesticides, was reported by farmers and they were performed in the planting seasons, when numerous flocks of birds were present.

Fig. 5. Installation of an experiment of planting in commercial scale using seeds poisoned

germination tests are being discussed here, will be presented.

**2. Methods of controlling bird mortality** 

halting the consumption before dying.

agricultural fields.

with carbofuran.

cryptic animals such as zebra and chameleons. Camouflage comes from the French word 'camoufler' which means to disguise or conceal through a disguise and its evolutionary significance has been gaining wide scientific support as a mechanism that reduces the risk of detection (Merilaita et al., 1998, Zug et al. 2001; Merilaita, 2003, Schmidt et al., 2004, Frankel et al. 2004; Merilaita & Lind, 2005, Cuthill et al., 2005).

The principle of camouflage inspired and guided the development of this research. Seeds of wheat, corn and rice, when treated with systemic pesticides, would receive dyed camouflage, making them similar to the soil where they were planted. This cover would preferably be processed on the same machine that performs pesticide treatment, moreover, it could not impair the mechanical planting or germination. The camouflage should have low operational and financial cost, as well as been non-toxic. Thus, seeds that were not buried by the planting machine, remaining dangerously exposed to granivorous birds, would count with a camouflage whose effectiveness would be favored by organic matter not decomposed, by the irregularities of the soil, and by the contrasts between light and shadows on the soil surface, even though the birds actively seeked them on the ground.

Birds attack the agricultural fields because they are abundant sources of food readily accessible, requiring low energy expenditure. If food becomes difficult to find, to ingest, and to digest, birds will spend more time and energy to forage. Having them difficulty to maintain a certain rate-making energy, the theory of optimal foraging predicts that animals will look for another food source (Avery, 2002, Begon et al., 2006).

The aim of this paper is to present the method of concealment of seeds and how it was designed, with respect to the material tests and seed germination. Results obtained from these assessments show that camouflages can increase the germination rate of seeds and that 'home-made' forms of camouflage can be as efficient, if not better than camouflage produced by industrial processes. Also, camouflage do not need high operating or financial costs, it can be applied to seeds using the usual machinery of seed pesticides treatment on commercial scale plantations.

Fig. 4. Camouflaged seeds can be visible, representing risk of poisoning for birds, if it were not completely buried and were seeded outside the plowed soil of the planting, or in absence of non decomposed organic matter on the soil surface.

However, before, results of research on the effectiveness of the forms of mitigation that has been tested, among which different types of camouflage, whose forms of development and germination tests are being discussed here, will be presented.

The mitigation method will be contextualized regarding the impacts caused by the usual ways of planting wheat and corn with seeds poisoned by carbamates pesticides, such as carbofuran and carbosulfan. Then we will present a discussion on results obtained with different types of ingredients, used in preparing camouflage, regarding the effectiveness of camouflage, cover durability and environmental factors that influence the trial in agricultural fields.

Finally, there will be a discussion about determinant factors of the camouflage effectiveness in some species in experimental conditions, explaining the results obtained by this research.
