Inicio  /  Drones  /  Vol: 6 Par: 9 (2022)  /  Artículo
ARTÍCULO
TITULO

Insecticidal Management of Rangeland Grasshoppers Using a Remotely Piloted Aerial Application System

Daniel E. Martin    
Roberto Rodriguez    
Derek A. Woller    
K. Chris Reuter    
Lonnie R. Black    
Mohamed A. Latheef    
Mason Taylor and Kiara M. López Colón    

Resumen

Grasshoppers are integral parts of rangeland ecosystems but also have the potential to reach population densities high enough (outbreaks) to cause serious economic damage from forage loss and affect adjacent crops. The objective of this study was to investigate the efficacy of treating grasshopper population hotspots with a liquid insecticide using a remotely piloted aerial application system (RPAAS), as opposed to fixed-wing aircraft, which is the most common method currently in use. A liquid insecticide, Sevin XLR PLUS (containing carbaryl), was applied on replicated 4.05-hectare (10-acre) plots with an RPAAS on a ranch in New Mexico. Our results demonstrated that Sevin XLR PLUS significantly suppressed grasshopper populations over a 14-day period (normalized population reduction was 79.11 ± 8.35% SEM) and quite rapidly (mostly by day 3) compared to untreated controls. These results are comparable to those achieved with fixed-wing aircraft. The RPAAS covered the whole test area in a single flight in approximately 5 min, making these population hotspot treatment applications relatively rapid, potentially more cost-effective, and more targeted in comparison to fixed-wing aircraft. Before adoption as an application method option, further research is recommended on using an RPAAS to cover larger areas in combination with using diflubenzuron-based insecticides, which are often preferred.

Palabras claves

 Artículos similares

       
 
Ruohao Zhang, Jean-Philippe Condomines and Emmanuel Lochin    
The rapid development of Internet of Things (IoT) technology, together with mobile network technology, has created a never-before-seen world of interconnection, evoking research on how to make it vaster, faster, and safer. To support the ongoing fight ag... ver más
Revista: Drones

 
Semonn Oleksyn, Louise Tosetto, Vincent Raoult, Karen E. Joyce and Jane E. Williamson    
The way an animal behaves in its habitat provides insight into its ecological role. As such, collecting robust, accurate datasets in a time-efficient manner is an ever-present pressure for the field of behavioural ecology. Faced with the shortcomings and... ver más
Revista: Drones

 
Adrien Michez, Stéphane Broset and Philippe Lejeune    
In the context of global biodiversity loss, wildlife population monitoring is a major challenge. Some innovative techniques such as the use of drones?also called unmanned aerial vehicle/system (UAV/UAS)?offer promising opportunities. The potential of UAS... ver más
Revista: Drones

 
Moulay A. Akhloufi, Andy Couturier and Nicolás A. Castro    
Wildfires represent a significant natural risk causing economic losses, human death and environmental damage. In recent years, the world has seen an increase in fire intensity and frequency. Research has been conducted towards the development of dedicate... ver más
Revista: Drones

 
Elizabeth Brunton, Jessica Bolin, Javier Leon and Scott Burnett    
Drones are often considered an unobtrusive method of monitoring terrestrial wildlife; however research into whether drones disturb wildlife is in its early stages. This research investigated the potential impacts of drone monitoring on a large terrestria... ver más
Revista: Drones