Voles have always posed significant challenges for growers due to their feeding habits on the roots, stems, and seeds of crops, which can severely damage plants and reduce yields. When vole populations become too large, they can decimate entire fields by consuming large amounts of vegetation and undermining plant stability. Their burrowing activities disrupt the soil structure, making it difficult for crops to establish strong root systems. Additionally, voles can spread diseases and parasites to plants, further compromising crop health. An overabundance of voles can lead to severe economic losses for farmers, as the destruction of crops directly translates to decreased productivity and profitability.
This problem is growing worse each year. Aerial imagery shows the increasing extent of this issue, making the matter more and more urgent, especially in Slovakia, where most farmers are seeking a solution for these critters. Precisely pinpointing where the burrows are can be a powerful tool. During Techagro, many farmers expressed interest in burrow detection.
When Proofminder was presented to Slovakian and Czech agricultural organizations, one of the most frequently asked questions was whether we could help identify voles and their burrows. Our first real use-case came from a leading player in Slovakia, who requested a test of Proofminder’s capabilities on 20 hectares of wheat near the city of Piešťany. The process is described below.
First, we had to choose good weather conditions for the mission—not too windy (which would affect drone stability) and sunny. The best pictures can be taken when there is a thin layer of clouds, but sunny conditions without scattered clouds will also do (scattered clouds can create unwanted shadows in photos, which may result in false positives, especially during burrow detection). We had sunny conditions without clouds and very little wind; image gathering started at 10 AM. The drone used was a Mavic 3 Enterprise, with six spare batteries and a charging station. The first part (10 hectares) took around one hour to fly, with a 0.5 cm/px resolution at a flying altitude of 16 meters. The second half was flown at an altitude of 13 meters, with a 0.42 cm/px resolution, taking slightly over an hour.
Once the mission was completed, the captured images were uploaded to Proofminder’s environment, and the work began. After stitching the photos into an orthomosaic, we corrected issues with shadows to avoid false burrow detection and let Proofminder’s advanced algorithm work its magic. The results are shown below.
We confirmed a 97% success rate. We performed a visual check on-site comparing Proofminder results with our observations. The detection of the burrows was meticulous. After the harvest, we will continue with burrow detection to fine-tune the process.
These results can help farmers create a comprehensive plan to combat the vole problem. There are multiple methods to reduce vole populations, and Proofminder provides all the data needed to achieve this goal.
Figure 1 – Wildlife damage to the wheat field
Figure 2 – Vole holes detected by Proofminder’s AI model
Proofminder can help address this significant problem by:
Figure 3 – Vole holes detected by Proofminder’s AI model
A Few Strategies for Managing Vole Populations:
These integrated pest management strategies help to keep vole populations under control, protecting crops and maintaining agricultural productivity.
Contact us to receive an accurate analysis of your field, assess yield loss and improve yield.