New technology could help farmers spot crop pests sooner
By Science Correspondent
University of Warwick researchers are helping develop new technology that could give vegetable growers an earlier warning when damaging pests appear in their crops.
The TRACER-Pest project is working on an automated system that uses artificial intelligence to monitor pests in onion and brassica crops.
The idea is simple: give growers better information about what is happening in their fields, and help them decide when they need to take action.
Researchers from Warwick Crop Centre are bringing their experience in pest identification, insect biology and integrated pest management to the work. They will help make sure the system can recognise the pests it is designed to find.
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Professor Rosemary Collier OBE, Professor of Integrated Pest Management at the University of Warwick, said:
“Effective pest management depends on knowing precisely when pests are present and whether action is genuinely needed.
“As growers face increasing pressure to produce healthy crops while using crop protection products more precisely, access to timely, accurate information has never been more important.”
The work is focusing on two pests in particular: bean seed fly, which can damage onions, and swede midge, which affects brassica crops such as cabbage and broccoli.
Both pests can cause significant crop losses, but keeping track of them using traditional methods can be difficult and time-consuming.
Warwick researchers will help identify the insects found during the project and provide scientific data to help train and test the new system. They will also provide access to research facilities and insect cultures.
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Professor Collier said the combination of scientific knowledge and AI could give growers more confidence when deciding how to protect their crops.
“By combining our scientific expertise in pest identification and monitoring with advances in artificial intelligence, we can help develop systems that are accurate, robust and practical for use in commercial crops,” she said.
If the system proves successful, growers could have a much clearer picture of pest levels in their crops and be able to target treatments when they are actually needed.
That could help protect yields while reducing unnecessary use of crop protection products.
