Laser Scarecrows: Gimmick or solution? URI needs your help to find out...

Blackbirds and starlings can be a severe problem in sweet corn; the birds shred the husks and peck the kernels, rendering the ears unmarketable. Even more frustrating, losses occur just before harvest, after growers have already invested time and inputs into the crop. Many sweet corn growers use some combination of scare guns, pyrotechnics, and hunting. As some of these methods are consider controversial and illegal, farmers, politicians, and regulators are very interested in a practical alternative for protecting crops.

 

Dr. Rebecca Brown and her colleagues at the University of Rhode Island (URI) want to explore the impact of laser scarecrows on bird damage in fresh market sweet corn production. They are conducting a short survey that asks questions about crop production and bird damage you have experienced.The goal of this survey is to gather preliminary information for grant applications. The survey can be found here: https://riepr.org/s/birds.

 

Video: predictive weed Management saves on herbicide costs and increases yield potential

Gowan Canada is partnering with Geco Strategic Weed Management to help Canadian growers take a strategic approach to weed control through data-driven prediction and planning.

Geco’s technology uses data and AI to map where weeds have been over the past five years and predict where patches are likely to emerge next season. These insights allow farms and retailers to plan ahead and target actions in the most challenging areas.

“Our technology enables the question: if you could know where your most problematic patches are and where they are spreading to, what could you do differently? That’s what our technology makes possible,” said Greg Stewart, CEO of Geco. “Many of our farms are already using our prescriptions along with Gowan products, so this collaboration is a natural next step.”