Solar-Powered Insect TrapperHome

A solar powered insect trapper developed by an entrepreneur, Mr. Abdul Kadhar, from Puducherry seems to promise both.

It is not priced high (Rs.2,625 a piece) and secondly, it is proving to be quite popular among farmers in the Tamil Nadu region.

This device operates automatically, turning on the light during dusk (6:00 – 7:00 PM) and turns it off after five hours, sometime prior to midnight using a micro controller chip. Most of the damage causing insects is active only during that time, according to Mr. Abdul who adds, “It avoids capturing beneficial insects in the field.”

Installing one light trap in an acre attracts at least 10 adult pests a day.

The trapper is capable in controlling flying insects, nymphs, adults of leaf folder, stem borer moths, fruit borers, moths, hoppers, aphids, white flies, fruit weevil and different crop beetles etc.

The improved solar light trap was field tested in Sevaiyur village in Sivaganga district for about three months continuously on various vegetable crops and is effective.

“It is perhaps the most environment-friendly practice as the source of light for trapping insects is the Sun. Hence, solar light traps need to be promoted in a big way as cost effective and environment friendly technology,” says Dr. Sreenath Dixit, Zonal Project Director, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Hebbal, Bengaluru. Solar light traps have added advantage of very little or no maintenance, ease of carrying and installation.

Source: The Hindu