How a WA farmer uses lasers to protect his crop

The problem of birds damaging fruit crops is as old as time, but a Western Australian arborist uses lasers to keep them at bay.

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Sam Licciardello grows apples, pears, plums, peaches and nectarines on his southwestern property.

Depending on the season, each year the birds destroyed up to 20% of the fruit on its trees.

Mr. Licciardello turned to laser bird-scaring technology as a potential solution.

"Last season was our first year testing [lasers], and we had great result," he said.

At the site where Mr. Licciardello tested the lasers, he was able to pick an additional 70 bins of fruit.

The machine projects lasers in a pattern onto the fruit tree and can operate 24 hours a day.

Mr. Licciardello said that the laser beam did not harm the birds.

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The movement of the light scared the birds enough to keep them away from the fruit and its trees.

The laser machine can be programmed with a pattern suited to the layout of the orchard.

However, after last season's trial, Mr. Licciardello noticed the birds seemed to learn the laser pattern after 10 days.

"I would scramble it and change it, and [the birds] should sit down and learn it again," he says.

"You must be really on top and adjust your program accordingly."

Mr. Licciardello said as time passed, he thought the laser system would become even more efficient.