UAV-based Semiochemical Management for U.S. Agricultural Crops.

With the global population expected to exceed 9 billion by 2050, there has been a strong drive in recent years toward more technologically advanced, data-driven agriculture, enabling farmers to grow more and better food with less labor, water and pesticide inputs, and less harm to the environment. Modern farming relies extensively on automated technologies, such as wireless networks to monitor soil quality, autonomous tractors programmed to deposit plant seeds in precisely the correct location, and GPS-operated harvesters. ISCA seeks to further the trend of precision agriculture by developing a novel method of pest control: the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), to apply safe, species-specific insect pheromones to suppress pest populations. Most pheromone-based technologies are device-type dispensers that must be placed in the field by hand, precluding UAV application, but ISCA offers a unique alternative: SPLAT, a sprayable matrix for controlled release of pheromones. SPLAT has provided effective control of multiple agricultural, and has demonstrated amenability to aerial application; we believe this utility can be greatly expanded if we can demonstrate its adaptability to UAV technology. Our Phase I efforts will focus on development and testing of a UAV system to apply a SPLAT-based mating disruption product for two key of cranberries: cranberry fruitworm and black-headed fireworm. This crop system provides an ideal opportunity to test UAV-based semiochemical application. Ground spray application is not feasible in many cranberry farms, and treatment with conventional pesticides has been associated with multiple negative environmental and non-target impacts. UAV application of a safe, species-specific control strategy for cranberry pests could reduce or eliminate these risks, improve crop yields, and increase exports to foreign markets.