This five-foot stand installed in the center of the farm is touted as a significant measure of keeping the environment clean and providing farmers with decent yields.
Based on a technology sponsored by the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR), this solar powered insect trap kills most of the pests that devastate crops.
How it works
Like any other solar device, it stores electricity in a battery that allows a lightbulb to glow for four hours after sunset. The noxious insects and flies that hover over the crops in search of food are attracted to the bright light and die when they come into contact with the electrified fence around the lightbulb.
“It is during this warm period that harmful insects invade the farms. Since the automatic light switches off in four to five hours, the plant-friendly insects that fly after midnight are not threatened, ”explains G. Venkatrama Raju, a former soldier who has become a progressive farmer and who installed the insect trap in his field.
In an interview too The HinduMr Raju stated that the trap would kill stem borer, bark bark, fruit flies, mango hoppers and sucking pests.
“By killing a large number of pests, the trap interrupts its life cycle and prevents future generations from taking over the farms,” says Raju as he cleans the dead insects from the bottom of the trap with a soft brush.
One trap can handle crops covering 8,000 square feet or two acres, and farmers can have multiple traps installed for larger sizes. The easy-to-use trap can also be handled by farm assistants.
advantage
Working on the economy, he said the average farmer could get his investment back in a year or a harvest season.
“For example, a farmer who grows musk melon for two acres gets the cost back on the first harvest by not using pesticide spray every five days for 60 days. This not only avoids burning a hole in your pocket, but also saves a lot for the environment, ”emphasizes Raju.
“A farmer only has to expect likely virus and fungal infections that affect the plants, as this trap is responsible for pest control for 20 years,” explains Raju.
After successfully using the technology on his watermelon farm, the pine kisan is considering expanding it to his banana and papaya farms.