Researcher: Valerie Saxton
Bird damage to crops can be severe. Accurate estimates of economic loss are hard to obtain due to the spatial and temporal variability of damage, mobility of birds, and the economic cost of assessment at a time when workers are busy with harvest. This project will design a robust statistical method for assessing damage, using a robust sampling method followed by ready-made calculation sheets requiring minimum effort to obtain a figure for economic loss sustained. This figure will then be used to make management decisions about need for and type of bird management measures to be employed.
Funded by Sustainable Farming Fund, in collaboration with Lincoln University and New Zealand Winegrowers.