A soybean farmer in South Korea reduces crop losses by 95% with the AVIX Autonomic Laser Bird Deterrent

Location	Yaesan Chungnam, South Korea
Application context	Soybean farm
Problem definition	Bird damage to bean seeds (when the beans spout)
Bird species	Pigeons, magpies, crows
Bird behavior	Foraging
Time of the year with bird problems	June (sowing time)
Laser projection area	4 ha
Number of systems	2 x AVIX Autonomic Mark II
Birds reduction after the system has been installed	95%
Number of birds before laser deployment	100
Number of birds before laser deployment	5
Yearly cost of bird damage before laser deployment	USD 23,000
Yearly cost of bird damage after laser deployment	USD 1,150

After installing the AVIX Autonomic bird deterrent, the amount  of foraging birds dropped from 100 to only 5

Nam Gung-hoon, the representative of Sari Farming Cooperative, oversees operations spanning 123.4 hectares across 37 farming households. For years, the cooperative struggled with bird damage using traditional methods like netting and scarecrow pyrotechnics. However, these methods came with their own set of challenges. While scarecrow pyrotechnics often resulted in noise complaints from residents, netting proved effective but incurred substantial labor costs.

In early June, the soybean planting season begins and continues until the end of the month. This period also marks the onset of bird damage, which peaks from mid-June to the end of June. During this critical time, over 100 birds would often descend upon the fields, making farming extremely difficult. The sprouts, in particular, were most vulnerable to bird attacks.

Last year, Nam decided to install the innovative AVIX Autonomic laser bird deterrent to address this persistent problem. He reached out to Ganaindus, the official partner of Bird Control Group in South Korea, who proceeded with installing two laser systems at the farm. 

The results were remarkable. Previously, over 100 birds would attack the soybean sprouts, but after the installation of lasers, the number dropped significantly to around five birds.This drastic reduction in bird damage, which resulted in a 95% decrease in crop loss, made a significant difference in the cooperative’s farming operations.

Moreover, the introduction of lasers brought peace to the community. Unlike scarecrow pyrotechnics, the lasers did not generate any noise, and there were no complaints from the residents. The cooperative experienced a noticeable improvement compared to the previous year. Nam reflected on how pest control methods have evolved over time, from human involvement to the use of drones and now lasers. He expressed hope that these innovative machines would become more widespread in the future, benefiting more farmers and communities.

“Before, when soybean sprouts emerged, over 100 birds would roam around. After installing lasers, the number dropped significantly to around five birds.”

Nam Gung-hoon, representative of Sari Farming Cooperative