Australian scientists use wheat scent to protect seeds, reduce mice damage by 74%

Australian researchers have developed a non-toxic method to protect wheat crops from mice. They sprayed diluted wheat germ oil on farm plots in New South Wales during a 2021 field experiment. This oil camouflages the natural scent of buried seeds, confusing the mice and hindering their ability to locate food. The technique resulted in seed loss reductions of 63% during sowing and up to 74% when applied pre-planting.