A new weapon in pest control: bug-mounted drones
ByDennis Pollock What began as a side project while he was taking an integrated pest manage- ment class at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, has turned into a business for Chandler Bennett : spreading beneficial insects fromdrones. Bennett founded Parabug, headquar- tered in Salinas, a year after graduating fromCal Poly in biological resources and agricultural engineering. The company’s website opens with these words: “The Future of Farming is Smaller Than You Think.” A logo fanci- fully depicts an insect descending with a parachute. The bugs don’ t have parachutes, of course. Instead, they are released through small holes on tubes attached to drones. The tubes slowly rotate to pre- vent clogging as releases of insects, eggs or larvae are calibrated for uniformity. Bennett said the savings on release by drones range from50% to 75%of the cost for release by hand. He said the cost is “on par” with insecticide sprays. The cost for application from drones ranges from $16 to $25 per acre, and the cost of the predatory insects ranges from $50 to $100 per acre. Bennett recently told the San Joaquin WineGrowers Association there are both benefits and challenges to the use of in- sect biocontrols. Unlike pesticides, biocontrols have no re-entry restrictions and no post- harvest intervals. The insects are highly mobile, and there is little or no devel- opment of resistance. But there are challenges. “You are working with a living organ- ism,” Bennett said. “They leave. They die. There are no guarantees.” Bennett said large orders can require long lead times for the insectary. There
Chandler Bennett flies a drone over a field of green beans in the Salinas Valley to spread beneficial insects.
has been very little applied research and data available for outdoor crops, though there is more data on green- house use of biocontrols. “We have qualitative but need quanti- tative data,” he said. Amongweapons inhis aerial arsenal is Cryptolaemusmontrouzieri, also known as themealybug destroyer. The insect can beused to target the vinemealybug, a sig- nificant grapevine pest. Parabug has also applied predatory mites, lacewing eggs and larvae, the minute pirate bug and trichogramma, a parasitoid. Among the company’s customers is Michael David Winery of the Lodi area, where mealybug destroyers were re- leased over a vineyard. Almond growers, including Kern County farmer Kent Stenderup, have used drones to release predatorymites to control spider mites. Stenderup also uses
500 per acre. For the mealybug parasit- ic wasp, it’s 250 to 500 per acre. For the green lacewing, it’s 20,000 eggs per acre. Bennett saidit’s important toensure that those making applications are certified drone pilots and to check credentials. He said theymust request a certificate for op- eration of a drone and furnish a pest con- trol pilot’s license and proof of insurance. Drones can fly no higher than 400 feet above the ground and must not operate outside the visual line of sight. If the farm is within 5 miles of an airport or similar controlled air space, let the appl ication company know, Bennett said. The app l i cator may need ex t ra t ime to acquire a Federal Aviat ion Administrationwaiver andwill also need tower approval prior to flight. (Denni s Pol lock i s a repor t er in F r e s no . He ma y b e c on t a c t e d a t agcompollock@yahoo.com.) State board mulls water cuts for Mill, Deer creeks The State Water Resources Control Board later this month is scheduled to consider adopting draft emergency cur- tailment regulations to protect threat- ened fish species forMill andDeer creeks, both tributaries of the Sacramento River. Based on written comments that the board receives this week, the agency will review comments, make appropriate changes and release a revised proposed regulation for consideration at its Sept. 22 meeting. Members of the public may provide verbal comment on the draft reg- ulation at the September meeting. Learn more about the regulation and drought response in the Mi l l Creek and Deer Creek watersheds at www.waterboards.ca.gov/drought/ mill_deer_creeks/.
themtoapplybeneficial insects tograpes. MaderaCounty growerMikeTydal said he also has fly-overs with “good bugs to eat bad bugs” in his certified organic rai- sin crop. Tydal said he believes the aerial appli- cations are more uniform than previous hand applications. He said he has not sprayed “in quite a few years.” Bennett said scouting is a key to know- ingwhen to release beneficial insects. It’s also important to time pesticide appli- cations accordingly and to use selective materials whenever possible. Growers should not spray right after or before a release, he said. He suggested incorporating “insectary plants” that attract beneficial insects and provide alternative food sources. Bennett said the western predatory mite is typically applied at 5,000 to 10,000 per acre but can range up to 20,000. The mealybug destroyer is applied at
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10 Ag Alert September 8, 2021
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