Associated Press
Rob Baan of Koppert Cress uses drones to kill moths, whose larvae eat the plants in his greenhouse in Monster, Netherlands. When cameras detect a moth, a drone is set on a collision course with the insect, destroying the bug with its rotors.
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Monday, March 08, 2021 1:00 am
Drones help protect plants from moths
MIKE CORDER | Associated Press
MONSTER, Netherlands – Dutch cress grower Rob Baan has enlisted high-tech helpers to tackle a pest in his greenhouses: palm-sized drones seek and destroy moths that produce caterpillars that can chew up his crops.
“I have unique products where you don't get certification to spray chemicals and I don't want it,” Baan said in an interview in a greenhouse bathed in the pink glow of LED lights that help his seedlings grow. His company, Koppert Cress, exports aromatic seedlings, plants and flowers to top-end restaurants around the world.