DODOMA, Sept. 2 -- SOKOINE University of Agriculture (SUA) has developed artificial cat-urine scent systems to repel rats from farms, alongside research using barn owls as a natural method of controlling rodents that destroy rice and other crops.

SUA Vice-Chancellor, Prof Raphael Chibunda, said in Dodoma on Monday that the university was promoting environmentally friendly solutions by introducing specially designed nesting sites for barn owls to encourage them to prey on rats, thereby reducing reliance on chemical pesticides.

The university is also developing artificial lion urine and faeces scents to deter wildlife and livestock from invading large farms and damaging crops, a move expected to help reduce human-wildlife conflicts.

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