The impact of environmental changes on the biology and ethology of wild boar in the agricultural landscape

Paweł Węgorek; Weronika Herka; Filip Dolata

doi:10.24425/jppr.2025.156886

Authors

Paweł Węgorek Entomology and Animal Agrophagues, Institute of Plant Protection – NRI, Poznań, Poland https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9068-5469
Weronika Herka Plant Health Surveillance Department, Provincial Inspectorate of Plant Health and Seed Inspection in Poznań, Środa Wielkopolska, Poland
Filip Dolata Plant Health Surveillance Department, Provincial Inspectorate of Plant Health and Seed Inspection in Poznań, Poznań, Poland

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24425/jppr.2025.156886%20%20

Highlights

Damages caused by wild boar in the most important crops
Wild boar as one of the main agricultural pests
Crop protection against wild boar

Keywords

agriculture, environmental changes, ethology, game-related changes, wild boar

Topics

Zoology and Nematology
Agricultural Ecology

Abstract

Environmental changes significantly impact the populations of various game mammal species, altering their biology, behavior, feeding preferences, and the extent of damage they cause to agricultural crops. This study focused on the current status of the wild boar (Sus scrofa L.) — a species that has become a major agricultural pest in certain agricultural crops. In Greater Poland, which is an agricultural region of Poland, wild boars cause the greatest damage to rapeseed and maize crops. Both plant species are mainly damaged during the spring and summer growing seasons, as wild boars not only forage in these fields but also create shelter areas within them, which leads to significant yield losses. This analysis considered both the negative consequences of its presence and the positive role it plays in the ecosystem. A substantial part of the presented information is based on research and observations conducted at the Game Breeding Center of the Institute of Plant Protection – National Research Institute in Poznań (GBC OPP-NRI), within hunting district no. 311 (Jarocin Forest District) near Winna Góra.

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