Drone operator David Pearce received a call from a vineyard in the Hunter Valley in 2017, asking about how drones might help spread “good” bugs across the vines. “I didn’t have any idea what he was talking about,” said Mr Pearce. “I rang a friend who was an agronomist and he told me about good and bad bugs. “I thought it was pretty cool and did some research.” Mr Pearce, from Mudgee, discovered the US company Parabug, which had a worldwide patent on a mechanism that allowed drones to release useful bugs across fields from the air. A relationship was formed that resulted in Mr Pearce bringing the technology to Australia. Mr Pearce purchased 30 million Doreen mites late last year from Biological Services, one of two companies in Australia breeding bugs for commercial purposes. Before being dispatched around the country the mites – part of the arachnid family – were packaged up with the mineral vermiculite and sent refrigerated to their destination. Just before Christmas they were spread by drone across eight vineyards in Orange and three in Mudgee. The mites were placed in tubes and released through small holes as the tubes rotated in the Parabug drones. The drones flew six to eight metres above the ground. The release was part of a trial involving the NSW DPI, Parabug Australia, Biological Services and local growers. “It’s a consistent release across the field,” said Mr Pearce. “When you’ve got people walking up and down a field tipping a bit here and a bit there it gets monotonous so you probably can’t guarantee consistency.” Mr Pearce said about 20 varieties of good mites and tiny wasps could be used to kill bugs in agriculture. Predatory mites kill off the bad mites and over time colonise the vineyard. “They’ll probably see some benefits coming into autumn with the mites that become prevalent, but the real test will be at budburst next year,” Mr Pearce said. “We’re hoping that this will be successful and give the grower an option to look at a biological control and reduce their chemical inputs.” Send us a letter to the editor using the form below …
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Drone operator David Pearce received a call from a vineyard in the Hunter Valley in 2017, asking about how drones might help spread “good” bugs across the vines.
“I didn’t have any idea what he was talking about,” said Mr Pearce.
“I rang a friend who was an agronomist and he told me about good and bad bugs.
“I thought it was pretty cool and did some research.”
Mr Pearce, from Mudgee, discovered the US company Parabug, which had a worldwide patent on a mechanism that allowed drones to release useful bugs across fields from the air.
A relationship was formed that resulted in Mr Pearce bringing the technology to Australia.
Mr Pearce purchased 30 million Doreen mites late last year from Biological Services, one of two companies in Australia breeding bugs for commercial purposes.
Before being dispatched around the country the mites – part of the arachnid family – were packaged up with the mineral vermiculite and sent refrigerated to their destination.
Just before Christmas they were spread by drone across eight vineyards in Orange and three in Mudgee.
The mites were placed in tubes and released through small holes as the tubes rotated in the Parabug drones.
The drones flew six to eight metres above the ground.
The release was part of a trial involving the NSW DPI, Parabug Australia, Biological Services and local growers.
“It’s a consistent release across the field,” said Mr Pearce.
“When you’ve got people walking up and down a field tipping a bit here and a bit there it gets monotonous so you probably can’t guarantee consistency.”
Mr Pearce said about 20 varieties of good mites and tiny wasps could be used to kill bugs in agriculture.
Predatory mites kill off the bad mites and over time colonise the vineyard.
“They’ll probably see some benefits coming into autumn with the mites that become prevalent, but the real test will be at budburst next year,” Mr Pearce said.
“We’re hoping that this will be successful and give the grower an option to look at a biological control and reduce their chemical inputs.”
Send us a letter to the editor using the form below …