Effective primate deterrent: The ocimum hedge
The ocimum hedge paired with the mesh fence is has been proven to be a very effective primate deterrent.
The hedge combined with a fence had the greatest impact on foraging by baboons and blue monkeys, suggesting links to primate body size.
Ocimum planted as a hedge
Ocimum (Ocimum kilimandscharicum) or camphor basil, as it is commonly known as, is a perennial, bushy shrub that can grow to almost two metres in height unless trimmed.
The corolla are pink, mauve or white, the leaves are serrated, from 30mm to 60mm long and 15mm to 30mm wide, and branches are woody andnumerous (Paton, 1992; Makri and Kintzios, 2007).
Ocimum plants are aromatic and secrete nectar with a high sugar content and at a high frequency, which attracts large numbers of bees for pollination (Sajjanar et al., 2003; Sajjanar et al., 2004). The strong odour of the plants and the frequent presence of bees provide ocimum with repellent properties and render it noxious and aversive for many animals.
Ocimum planted as a three-row hedge
Ocimum was introduced at one farm as a 103m, three-row hedge extending along the entire 57m farm-forest boundary as well as 23m along each side boundary. A mesh fence was built along half of the hedge. Plants were 300mm to 400mm apart and offset in rows to maximise hedge density, especially at ground level.
The hedge comprised more than 1,000 ocimum plants on completion, enclosing 1,311m2 of fields on three sides. Hedge height was 800mm to 1,100mm and width was 900mm to 1,200mm, growing as the ocimum propagated.
Read more about this case study here.
Citation: Wallace, G.E. and C.M. Hill (2016) Deterring crop-foraging wildlife: Lessons from farms in north-western Uganda. Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, United Kingdom.
Contact: gwallace3@gmail.com and cmhill@brookes.ac.uk