Sweep Net in the Sky: Team Designs Drone for Insect Scouting
Unmanned aerial vehicles are finding a variety of applications in agriculture, and a team at the University of Idaho has developed an open-source drone design that can successfully sample insects in a field.
Rolled Cardboard Makes a Handy Insect-Sampling Tool
A group of researchers gets creative with some simple materials: strips of cardboard, rolled up and tied with string. Affixed to tree trunks or limbs, the "trunk refugia" show promise as a simple and inexpensive tool for sampling tree-dwelling insects and arthropods.
Bodycams Can Make for Better Agricultural Pest Management, Too
In a new study at the University of Arizona, researchers used body-mounted cameras to evaluate the efficiency of two insect pest sampling techniques—a sweepnet and a vacuum—in a cotton field. The perspective offered new insights into how such methods can be evaluated and could help growers and integrated pest management professionals further fine-tune their sampling techniques.