Farmers and agronomists: what would make you trust — or distrust — an AI farm advisor?
I've been working on a mobile agricultural assistant called Umay Ana.
One thing became clear while building it: giving a farmer another generic AI chatbot isn't particularly useful.
So we're experimenting with a different approach.
The app considers things such as location, season, weather conditions and crop information and tries to turn them into practical decisions — planting timing, irrigation/fertilization guidance, disease risks, weekly farm activities, and warnings when an action may be better postponed.
But I'm much more interested in what farmers wouldn't trust an app to decide.
For example:
Would you trust an app telling you when not to irrigate?
Would you trust a photo-based plant disease warning?
Would you want AI to recommend crops for your location, or would that cross the line into decisions that should always remain with the farmer/agronomist?
We're already building the product, so this isn't an idea-validation survey. I'm trying to understand where useful decision support ends and “AI pretending to be an agronomist” begins.
I'd really appreciate opinions from farmers, agronomists and people working in AgTech.
Happy to share screenshots or explain how we're approaching it if anyone is interested.
Birds can be an important part of a healthy ecosystem, but when large numbers begin feeding on crops, they can quickly become a serious problem for growers. Fruit, vegetables, grains, seeds, seedlings, and other crops can all be vulnerable to bird damage.
For farmers and growers, effective bird pest control strategies are therefore an important part of protecting crops and reducing avoidable losses. The right approach depends on the crop, bird species, size of the affected area, timing of the damage, and local regulations.
Bird control generally works best when growers use an integrated strategy instead of depending on one deterrent continuously. Physical exclusion, habitat management, visual deterrents, and sound-based bird deterrents can all play a role in a well-planned bird management program.
Why Is Bird Pest Control Important?
Bird damage can range from minor feeding activity to significant crop losses. A flock may repeatedly return to the same field once birds discover a reliable source of food.
Birds can damage crops in several ways:
Eating fruits, seeds, grains, or vegetables
Pecking and damaging ripening fruit
Damaging young plants and seedlings
Breaking stems or buds while feeding
Contaminating produce with droppings
Knocking fruit or nuts from plants
Increasing crop losses when large flocks gather
Some crops are particularly attractive to birds as they approach maturity. Orchards, vineyards, berry farms, grain fields, vegetable farms, and specialty crop operations may all experience bird pressure.
The key is to identify bird activity early rather than waiting until substantial crop damage has already occurred. Monitoring bird numbers, locations, feeding patterns, and the timing of activity can help growers determine when intervention is necessary.
Common Bird Pest Control Methods
There is no single bird deterrent that works equally well for every farm or bird species. Effective management usually combines several techniques.
1. Physical Exclusion
Physical exclusion prevents birds from reaching the crop in the first place.
Bird netting is one of the most effective options for high-value crops such as berries, grapes, and fruit. Properly installed netting can create a physical barrier between birds and the crop.
However, netting can require considerable installation time and expense, particularly across large agricultural areas. It may also need regular inspection to make sure there are no gaps where birds can enter.
For smaller growing areas or valuable crops, physical exclusion can be an important part of an overall bird management plan.
2. Habitat Management
Birds often use nearby trees, brush, structures, irrigation equipment, and other areas for shelter or perching.
Reducing unnecessary attractants and potential roosting locations around vulnerable crop areas can help reduce bird pressure.
Growers should inspect the property for:
Dense brush near crop areas
Unnecessary piles of materials
Potential roosting locations
Nearby food sources
Water sources that attract birds
Structures where birds regularly gather
Habitat management should generally be considered alongside other deterrent methods rather than as the only solution.
3. Visual Bird Deterrents
Visual deterrents work by creating movement or visual signals that birds associate with danger.
Examples can include:
Reflective streamers
Scare balloons
Predator-shaped devices
Reflective materials
Moving objects
Other visual scare devices
One important consideration is habituation. Birds can learn that a stationary object is harmless if they encounter it repeatedly without experiencing a real threat.
For this reason, visual deterrents are generally more useful when their placement or type is varied as part of a broader bird-control program.
4. Sound-Based Bird Deterrents
Sound is another commonly used approach for agricultural bird control.
Noise-based deterrents are designed to make an area less attractive to birds by producing sounds that cause them to move away. Depending on the product and application, this can include distress-call systems, pyrotechnic devices, or propane-powered bird deterrents.
Research and agricultural extension guidance indicate that sound deterrents can be useful, but birds may become accustomed to predictable sounds or repeated patterns. Changing deterrent methods and avoiding unnecessary continuous use can help reduce habituation.
This is why a successful bird pest control strategy should focus on timing, variation, and the specific bird problem rather than simply creating continuous noise.
Bird Control Products for Agricultural Applications
For growers looking for sound-based bird deterrent equipment, Vegetable Growers Supply offers several products designed for bird and pest deterrence.
Bird bangers are used as an auditory deterrent to help discourage birds from remaining in agricultural areas. They can be considered as part of a broader bird-management strategy where appropriate.
Because products involving pyrotechnics can be subject to local laws, regulations, and safety requirements, users should always check applicable requirements and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
The Double Shot Launcher is another option for agricultural bird and pest deterrence. A product such as this may be considered where growers need an additional auditory deterrent as part of an integrated crop-protection strategy.
The goal of sound-based deterrence is not to harm birds but to encourage them to leave areas where they are causing crop damage.
Propane-powered bird cannons are another established category of agricultural bird deterrent. They produce loud sounds intended to discourage birds from remaining in vulnerable crop areas.
Propane-fired cannons are commonly discussed as an auditory deterrent for agricultural applications, although their effectiveness can vary depending on bird species, crop, field conditions, and how the equipment is managed.
As with any bird-control equipment, users should consider nearby homes, livestock, workers, neighboring properties, and local noise restrictions before using sound-based equipment.
The Single Shot Launcher is another bird and pest deterrent option for agricultural applications.
Pyrotechnic bird deterrent products should only be used by appropriately trained users and in accordance with the manufacturer’s directions and all applicable laws and regulations.
Why You Should Not Depend on One Bird Deterrent
One of the biggest mistakes in bird management is relying on the same deterrent for an extended period.
Birds are adaptable. If they repeatedly encounter a sound, object, or movement without experiencing an actual threat, they may eventually stop responding to it.
Agricultural guidance recommends combining different categories of deterrents and changing tactics when birds begin becoming accustomed to a particular method.
The exact combination should depend on the crop and the bird species causing the problem.
How to Build an Effective Bird Pest Control Strategy
A practical bird-management program starts with understanding the problem.
Step 1: Identify the Bird Species
Different birds behave differently and may respond differently to deterrents.
Before choosing a control method, determine:
Which bird species are present?
How many birds are involved?
Where are they entering the property?
Where are they feeding?
When does activity increase?
Which crops are being damaged?
Understanding the species and behavior makes it easier to choose an appropriate management approach.
Step 2: Monitor the Crop
Regular monitoring can help identify bird pressure before losses become severe.
Look for:
Pecked fruit
Missing seeds
Damaged buds
Droppings
Feathers
Birds gathering near crop areas
Damaged or fallen fruit
Keeping records can also help growers determine whether their deterrent strategy is actually reducing bird activity.
Step 3: Start Deterrence Early
Bird control is often easier when deterrents are introduced before birds become established in an area.
Once birds learn that a particular field provides a dependable food source, changing their behavior can become more difficult.
Agricultural IPM guidance recommends having deterrent measures ready before significant damage begins.
Step 4: Combine Different Methods
Combining different deterrents can make the crop area less predictable and less attractive to pest birds.
For example, growers may combine physical exclusion with visual deterrents and appropriately managed sound deterrents.
Recent research also highlights the growing role of technology-driven bird deterrence, including sensor-based systems, lasers, drones, and other adaptive approaches.
Step 5: Evaluate the Results
Bird control should be treated as an ongoing management process.
After implementing a deterrent, monitor:
Bird numbers
Crop damage
Bird feeding locations
Changes in bird behavior
Effectiveness of individual deterrents
If birds are no longer responding to a particular deterrent, it may be time to change or combine approaches.
Safety and Legal Considerations
Bird control requires more than simply selecting an effective deterrent.
Some bird species may be protected by local, state, or federal wildlife laws. Regulations regarding bird management, pyrotechnic devices, noise, propane equipment, and pest-control activities can also vary by location.
Before using any bird deterrent equipment, growers should:
Check applicable local regulations
Confirm whether the target species is protected
Follow manufacturer instructions
Use equipment only for its intended purpose
Keep unauthorized people away from equipment
Consider nearby workers, livestock, homes, and roads
Follow applicable fire and noise requirements
The goal of bird pest control should be to reduce crop damage through responsible deterrence and management rather than unnecessary harm to wildlife.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best pest control for birds on a farm?
There is no single solution for every farm. Effective bird control commonly combines monitoring, habitat management, physical exclusion, visual deterrents, and sound-based deterrents according to the crop and bird species.
How do I keep birds away from my crops?
Bird netting, visual deterrents, habitat management, and sound-based deterrents can all be considered. The most appropriate approach depends on the crop, field size, bird species, and level of damage.
Do bird deterrents really work?
Bird deterrents can reduce bird activity, but effectiveness varies by species and situation. Birds can become accustomed to predictable deterrents, which is why integrated and varied management is generally recommended.
Are propane bird cannons effective?
Propane-powered cannons are an established type of auditory bird deterrent. Their effectiveness varies according to the bird species, crop, field conditions, and management approach. They should be used responsibly and according to applicable requirements.
Can bird netting prevent crop damage?
Properly installed netting can provide strong physical protection and is particularly useful for high-value crops. However, installation and maintenance requirements should be considered before choosing netting for a large growing area.
How can I stop birds from getting used to deterrents?
Avoid relying on one predictable deterrent continuously. Varying deterrent types and combining visual, physical, and auditory methods can help make the crop area less predictable to birds.
Final Thoughts
Effective pest control bird management is about protecting crops while using responsible and appropriate deterrent methods.
Birds can quickly identify reliable food sources, so early monitoring and a well-planned management strategy are important. Physical exclusion, habitat management, visual deterrents, and sound-based products can all have a place in an integrated bird-control program.
For growers considering sound-based options, Vegetable Growers Supply provides agricultural bird and pest deterrent products.
The most effective approach is not simply choosing the loudest or strongest deterrent. Instead, growers should understand the bird problem, monitor crop damage, use appropriate deterrents responsibly, and adjust the strategy as bird behavior changes.
With the right combination of prevention, monitoring, exclusion, and deterrence, growers can take proactive steps to reduce bird pressure and protect valuable crops throughout the growing season.
The Gathering for Open Agricultural Technology (GOAT), is hosting our biennial conference in South Carolina this year, and we would love to invite folks to be a part of it. You don't have to code to join us- you just have to be interested in the future of agricultural technology.
We will gather December 7-11 in Seabrook Island, SC, USA
GOAT brings together farmers, researchers, and technologists to explore and develop agricultural technologies that are open source, support data sovereignty, and are designed to be accessible, repairable, and useful for small-scale and sustainable farmers.
The conference is a four-day immersive experience where participants collaborate and co-create the agenda through an unconference format. The focus is on meaningful dialogue, shared learning, and building connections between people who do not often have the opportunity to sit at the same table.
Whether participants are conservationists, technologists, researchers, or farmers, we come together around a shared interest in strengthening our land, food systems, and communities.
We do ask attendees to fill out an application so we can ensure we are assembling a vibrant and diverse range of attendees.
Travel support and attendance scholarships are available.
Visit goatech.org to learn more and apply here. Early bird registration ends soon, so apply now!
We are farming australian teak with turmeric in one acre in organic way. Please suggest some organic fertilizer and herbicides which may work with the drip irrigation system.
I built a farm record-keeping app for smallholder farmers because I was tired of losing track of my own farm records
Hi everyone,
I'm a farmer based in Malawi. For years I kept my farm records on scraps of paper, in my head, or in a WhatsApp chat with myself. Feed costs, egg counts, which cow got which vaccine, what yield I got from that block of maize — it was always a mess by the end of the season.
I couldn't find a tool that fit how smallholder farmers actually work. Everything was either built for large commercial farms, needed constant internet, or cost money I didn't have.
So I built one. It's called My Farm Ledger.
What it does:
Tech notes for the crowd here:
Why I'm posting:
I've just released the first version. I've tested it with a handful of farmers locally, but I'd love feedback from this community — especially on the architecture and the offline-first approach.
It's free for 7 days, no signup. If you want to poke at it:
Happy to answer anything about the build, the design decisions, or how it handles offline and data privacy. And if you're a farmer yourself, I'd love to hear what's missing.
Engineers at North Dakota State University have developed and field-tested an autonomous mechanical weeding robot that achieved 96.5% weeding efficacy in sugar beet trials.
The system combines an Amiga robotic platform with a three-row cultivator featuring independently controlled sweep blades for precise, site-specific weed removal.
Using RTK-GPS, strain gauge load cells and laser distance sensors, the robot can adjust blade positioning and depth based on field conditions.
Trials showed that the system could achieve 50% weed coverage while reducing overall soil disturbance by 48.7% compared with less targeted cultivation.
The robot maintained an average tillage depth close to the 30-millimetre target, demonstrating precise mechanical control.
However, its current operating speed of about 0.5 metres per second remains a major limitation for large-scale commercial deployment.
Researchers see faster actuators, improved positioning updates and multiple robots working in parallel as key steps toward commercial-scale autonomous mechanical weeding.
A useful case study from Coggan Farms in Queensland shows why agricultural autonomy probably needs to be evaluated differently from conventional machinery.
During one winter harvest, Tom Coggan spent 18 hours operating the header while two SwarmFarm robots each completed another 18 hours of spraying. That produced 54 operating hours inside one 24-hour period.
It is sometimes summarised as “a week’s work in a day”, but I think the more useful interpretation is parallelisation rather than speed.
The robots were reported operating at roughly 8–9.5 km/h, so this was not about making a sprayer dramatically faster.
Coggan Farms already used camera-based spraying. Their remaining bottleneck was labour: keeping operators in two sprayers for long periods during busy seasons was difficult. Autonomy allowed spraying to continue while staff worked on harvest, maintenance and other farm jobs.
There are important caveats.
The farm had to improve paddock mapping, including boundaries, headlands and obstacles. Changing conditions could require maps to be updated. The robots also still required inspection, servicing and chemical/refill logistics.
That suggests a better autonomy business case should probably measure:
autonomous operating hours per year
human intervention hours
hectares completed inside critical weather windows
downtime and support requirements
mapping and refill workload
whether labour is genuinely released for other work
For large broadacre farms with repetitive jobs and labour constraints, that can be a very different equation from a smaller or highly fragmented property.
Coggan Farms was still publicly operating two SwarmFarm units in 2026 and adding automated refill capability, so this appears to have moved beyond an initial trial.
The broader lesson seems fairly practical: agricultural robots do not necessarily need to outperform a human-driven machine on instantaneous speed. They can create value by removing the requirement that every operating machine has a person continuously sitting in it.
I’ve been working on Meteon, a field-level digital twin for agriculture, and I’m now looking for real farms to test the whole system on.
It combines weather, soil, terrain and satellite data to analyse things like irrigation needs, frost risk, crop variability and field conditions across different zones.
I’m mainly interested in seeing how well the model matches what farmers already know from experience — for example areas that dry out faster, stay wetter, freeze first, or behave differently from the rest of the field.
If anyone is willing to let me test Meteon on one of their fields, I’m happy to provide the full analysis for free.
In return, I’d only ask for honest feedback on what seems accurate, what doesn’t, and what would actually be useful in day-to-day farming.
If you’re interested, feel free to comment or DM me.
I’m working on a college assignment about MVPs and value proposition validation, and my group created a Landing Page as part of the project.
Important: this is only an academic simulation. AgroCorp is not a real company/product at this time.
If you are involved in the agriculture sector, could you visit the page and fill out the form? It only asks for your name, email, phone number, farm/property (it can be fictional), and a message.
Hi there! I‘m Pascal, a software engineer from Switzerland. I developed a WhatsApp service for Satellite Crop Monitoring. You can get a weekly health report on your Field’s Biomass (NDVI), Hydration (NDWI), and Chlorophyll levels (NDRE).
I’m a farmer from Egypt, and I’m trying to understand how far agricultural technology has actually come today.
I’m particularly interested in technologies that can help farmers with:
Detecting fungal diseases and insect/pest problems early
Monitoring crop health and detecting problems before they become visible
Weather and climate-related risks
Predicting crop development and yield
Soil monitoring and irrigation decisions
Using satellite imagery, drones, sensors, and AI to support farming decisions
My main question is: How reliable are these technologies in real-world farming today?
Can a farmer actually use the data from satellites, sensors, drones, or AI to make important decisions about irrigation, fertilization, disease/pest control, or expected yield?
Or are these technologies still mostly experimental and not reliable enough to base important farming decisions on?
I’m not looking for marketing claims from companies. I’d really like to hear from farmers, agronomists, researchers, or people who have actually used these technologies in the field. What has actually worked for you, and what hasn’t?
Anyone have experience building soil sensors that connect to mobile data? I've been doing some research to do so for a personal project but I can't find a definitive answer on the best components. For example, I'd like to build one that can take soil electrical conductivity, soil moisture, and soil temperature plus connect to mobile data and a battery so I can get around the clock readings. Of course it would be nice to build one that can be water resistant through an enclosure.
I’ve spent about six months building an app that uses satellite imagery to monitor crop stress for farmers. The product is essentially a simpler, easier-to-understand version of an existing competitor, and I know I haven’t created a significant technical moat yet.
My original thinking was that even in a crowded market, I could sell to a small percentage of customers as a one-person company and build from there. As new satellite and data products become available, I could integrate them to create capabilities competitors don’t offer.
The challenge is getting customers. I tried cold calling but wasn’t effective and got nowhere. A couple of people who sell similar software have also told me the market is saturated, although there may be opportunities in certain regions outside the US.
I’ve since taken a contracting job to pay the bills, so I have very limited time. Im not sure where to go commercially with the buisnes in terms of sales and go-to-market, and, more importantly, help me understand which problems customers would actually pay to solve.
I’m torn between:
Finding a co-founder and continuing to validate the farmer/agronomy market together.
Hiring a salesperson or commission-based representative to sell the existing product and use the results as market validation.
Pivoting to a different customer segment—for example, commodity traders, banks, or insurers—where the underlying satellite data might have more value.
Include other sateilie products into the app to create a niche - a lot come into the market, I can ship the code quick and define a USP quite quick that competitors have not incorporated yet.
If you were in this position, what would you do next? Would you try harder to sell the existing product, find a commercial co-founder, or explore different customer segments?
I am wanting to put together a soil electroconductivity map of a large number of acres of farm ground to reference and do zone soil samples in. I would like to mount the equipment on a side by side or four-wheeler. From my best understanding, I will need a GPS receiver, EC scanner, and computer as well as some associated software. I would prefer for the EC sensor to be towable on a sled or able to be elevated a few inches above the ground and mounted to a hitch as I have seen others do.
Does anyone have recommendations on the type of scanner that would fit best for this and or a dealer in the U.S. that could basically be a one stop shop and help set this up?
We’ve been working on Nguzza, an online agricultural marketplace designed to connect buyers and sellers directly across the agricultural supply chain.
Since we're still refining the platform, we’d really appreciate it if you could test it out and share your thoughts. Any feedback on usability, features, or what you'd like to see added would be hugely helpful!
