Innovative defense systems ULTRAsound Animal REPeller to prevent damage to crops caused by wild ungulates (ULTRAREP)

In 2011, only 1.7 million wildlife damages were liquidated in the Tuscany Region alone. The most striking species are wild boar (70% of damage), roe deer and deer (20% overall).
The problem concerns both the agricultural system of plains and hills, and the forest economy.
In Tuscany the greatest damage affects viticulture, cereal and oil crops, but there are also significant damages in the fruit and vegetable sector (eg horticultural areas of the Maremma and coastal or of particular value such as that of the fruit of the Mugello). Also in the forest sector there are complaints of considerable damage caused to the renewal of the woods, both economic and environmental, often altering the previous vegetative composition of the forest. The situation is alarming and affects almost all viticultural, cereal and oil crops and fruit and vegetables companies in Tuscany, especially those located in medium-hill areas (or 80% of the total): for every 100 hectares of land there are in Tuscany at least 20 wild boars, while the Regional Wildlife Plan includes 0.5-5 heads per 100 ha. To the enormous number of boars we add an almost equal number of roe deer, constantly increasing. For every farmer there are now 5 ungulates, a load almost doubled in five years.
The damages from wild ungulates can be contrasted with different systems, from individual protections to individual plants (shelters) to extended perimeter methods (fences with mesh or electric) more or less localized (olfactory bollards, etc.), which so far have however demonstrated a fairly limited effectiveness, high installation and management costs (controls, maintenance, etc.) and a not negligible environmental impact.