Farmers are under pressure to reduce chemical pesticides and their ability to do so will be aided by the news that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is about to start trialling a device that can kill insects with a laser. Developed by an American company, the ‘Photonic Fence’ is not really a fence at all, but a small box containing lasers, cameras and an Artificial Intelligence (AI) computer system. The cameras scan the air around the device for 100 metres, and the AI system measures the shape, speed and acceleration frequency of any bugs detected to establish which are potentially harmful. Any insects identified as a threat can then be zapped by the lasers, with a ‘kill rate’ of up to 20 insects per second. By deploying several such devices, farmers could effectively create a virtual fence around their crops that kills harmful pests but leaves bees and other beneficial or harmless insects untouched. The U.S. trials will begin soon. If the device is proven to work, then the company hopes to bring a commercial product to market, though that will still be some years away.