AFE is Avoiding Damage to Cherries with Laser Bird Repellent

Location:	San Carlos, Chillán, Maule Region, Chile
Application context:	Agriculture, Cherry farm
Problem definition:	Birds destroying and eating cherries
Bird species:	Sparrows (passeridae) and thrushes (Turdidae)
Time of the year with bird problems:	November 15 – January 5
Time of the day with bird problems:	All day
Number of systems:	1x Agrilaser Autonomic with solar panel
In use since:	November 24, 2017
Laser projection area:	25 ha
Crop damage reduction % after the Autonomic has been installed:	More than 50%

AFE uses laser bird repellent technology to avoid damage to cherries

Agrícola Forestal El Escudo – AFE – is a Chilean family business started in 1968 and located in Teno, Maule Region. The farm has been growing and developing from year to year, generating employment and having an important place in the export of fresh fruits from Chile.

AFE pays due regards to quality control and sustainability. That’s why closing eyes on bird damage to crops was not the way to go for the farm. In order to increase its production, AFE decided to use environmentally friendly laser bird repellent to prevent bird damage to its cherry crops caused mainly by thrushes. Luis Yaconi, one of the owners of AFE, was the initiator to use the lasers to repel birds. He was intrigued when he heard good feedback on the use of laser bird repellent from the owners of the agricultural fields in the US and Canada. 

Significant reduction in bird damage
Since the stories about the automated laser bird repellent were very positive, AFE did not even doubt whether or not to install one themselves. After the installation they have evaluated that the bird damage to crops was around 6% in the most complicated areas. He also notes that without the Autonomic the damage would have been more than twice.

“Next year I am planning to install the Autonomic again”

Rodrigo Diaz Production Manager Agrícola Forestal El Escudo