Disputes Arise due to Scarcity of Crop Seeds
In the southwest of Germany, farmers in districts like Ortenau and Kreis Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald are grappling with an unexpected challenge - an influx of crows. These birds have been known to damage crops, particularly in areas like Appenweier, Bad Krozingen, and Brudy's cornfield in Brudy.
Stefan Brudy, a farmer from Appenweier, has had to replant his cornfield due to damage caused by crows, while Brudy's small borehole in the cornfield was left barren after the crows removed numerous seedlings. Nils Arnold, a hunter from Bad Krozingen, criticizes the rules for shooting crows, stating they are complex.
To combat this issue, some districts have made temporary exceptions in certain areas to ease the shooting of crows. The goal is to scare off entire flocks of crows by killing individual birds. However, Ralf Schmidt, the Freiburg NABU chairman, argues that shooting alone will not solve the problem. He suggests alternatives to lethal scaring, such as hedges and bushes at the edges of fields, but these measures are not favoured by corn crakes.
In other areas, scarecrows, reflectors, and flutter bands are used to deter crows. Vegetable growers in the region use hail nets over special crops like lettuce to protect them from crows. Despite these efforts, the effect of these measures is often short-lived.
In the search for more effective solutions, German farmers and authorities are turning to technology and integrated pest management strategies. Monitoring and early detection technologies, such as satellite imagery, GPS mapping, and AI-driven forecasting tools, help farmers monitor crop fields for anomalies caused by pests, including crows. Integrated sensor networks combined with earth observation data support improved pest management practices, detecting crow activity and coordinating targeted responses to reduce damage to crops.
IPM approaches in Germany often incorporate flexible, low-cost energy harvesting sensor systems and habitat monitoring (such as hedgerows) to reduce pest populations while minimizing ecological impact. Collaborative conservation efforts are also being implemented, with some farmers working alongside conservation groups and using physical deterrents or barriers compatible with local wildlife and ecosystem requirements.
While the search results provide insight mainly into the use of advanced technology and integrated monitoring for pest and crop management, they do not detail particular direct crow control methods such as culling, netting, or scare devices specific to Germany. However, the prevalent approach emphasizes precision agriculture tools and sustainable pest control integrated with broader ecosystem management.
For more detailed or specific control measures, supplementary specialized agricultural sources or German agricultural policy documents would typically provide that information. These details, however, are absent from the current search results. The animals must be on the affected field for the so-called harassment shooting, and a flock of at least 20 birds must be present. The crow, being a particularly protected species in Germany, is subject to exceptions to the general killing ban to prevent major damage in agriculture.
- In light of the ongoing challenge with crows damaging crops in southwest Germany, some farmers and authorities are considering environmental-science methods like planting hedges and bushes at fields' edges to deter crows, as suggested by Ralf Schmidt, Freiburg NABU chairman.
- The general-news about the crows' issue in Germany reveals that political discussions arise around the rules for shooting crows, with Nils Arnold, a hunter from Bad Krozingen, criticizing the complex regulations.
