Background:
• Losses due to insect pests though cannot be eliminated altogether, but these can be reduced. The concept of proper monitoring of insect pests at the early stage of pest attack and control of those pests at early stage becomes most important.:
• Farmers must know that by attracting and killing one adult moth or insect they control around 300-400 insect progenies through them.:
• Light Trap is one of the important IPM tools usually used for monitoring insect populations, but some traps can also be used for controlling pests.:
• Light trap helps in forecasting of pest outbreaks employing incandescent lights, mercury lamps, and black lights at pest control stations. Identity and number recorded for each insect species promote development of suitable Pest Management plan.:
• The main light source attracts the phototrophic insects such as moths, flies, beetles, wasps etc.:
• By monitoring the light traps farmers will know better what types of insects are there in the field and whether they need to be controlled or not.:
• By installing a light trap right from the beginning of planting the farmer can control almost all the insect pests that are trying to attack the crop. :
Technology Details:
• Advanced Solar based Alternate Energy Light Trap (AELT) device helps in trapping the several flying insects in the crop fields by utilizing solar powered system (to lit the lamp at night). :
• The AELT includes a light trap unit for attracting the flying insects; a collector unit coupled to the light trap unit for receiving the trapped insects from light traps. :
• A funnel is fitted to direct the lured insects into the Insect collecting unit. The Funnel supports three baffles joined at the top. :
• Above the light trap unit, a solar panel has been fitted to charge a battery which supplies required power to the Light Trap Unit.:
• The collection unit having two chambers which are separated by a mesh to separate the tiny insects and, a cap is provided for opening and closing the chamber in the bottom. :
• The Collector Unit further comprises a vibration assembly having a controller and a sensor coupled to the controller to transmit a first signal to the controller for vibrating the mesh.:
• Once, the mesh will start vibrating, the tiny beneficial insects will fall down and collected in the second chamber. The tiny non-target insects, mostly natural enemies trapped so can easily be released to the crop environment. :
• The facility of escaping/releasing of non-target / natural enemies from the main Insect collection unit is a desirable attribute for bio-intensive approach of pest management. :
• The Light Trap Unit is also provided with a timer and sensor which will automatically get lighted during twilight and switched-off after three to four hours as per time set by the user in the timer. :
• A higher capacity battery has been fitted with the device to store and operate the device even in the cloudy and foggy weather. The battery can store sufficient power in fully charged condition to supply required power to the unit to run for four to five days.: