Controlling plant pests with lasers

Increasing problems with pesticide resistance and the adverse environmental side effects of pesticide use have increased the demand for developing alternative methods to control pests. Site-specific pest management can reduce the negative impact of pest management in horticulture and agriculture. In recent years, there has been an increasing focus on using laser beams to control pests by directing the laser beam toward the pest and killing or damaging it with heat. Lasers are energy demanding, and therefore, the laser beam should only be directed towards the pest and not irradiate the whole infested area. Precise location and identification of the pests can be done with artificial intelligence, and mirrors can direct the laser toward the target point of the pest. Using a laser beam with a diameter of 2 mm to control fifteen pests will only expose less than 0.02% of the area to the treatment. Therefore, laser is the most site-specific pest management method achievable. This article discusses the development of controlling pests with lasers and the advantages and disadvantages.