For years, farmers throughout India have struggled to guard mango, guava, sapota, and different citrus crops from the assault of fruit flies. Now, after three years of analysis and trials, scientists on the National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources (NBAIR), Bengaluru, (beneath the Indian Council of Agricultural Research) have developed a tool – ‘Shatpada Fruit Fly Trap’ – that reportedly gives long-lasting pest management at almost one-fourth the price of current merchandise.
The system has accomplished profitable multi-location trials and is now in search of patent within the US, Europe, Japan, China and Australia.
The lure has a twin funnel-shaped design that guides flies inside and prevents their escape. This system, produced from sturdy, recyclable plastic, can also be climate resistant and can be utilized a number of occasions with new lures.
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Special association
How it really works
According to scientists, the system is a “controlled release pheromone device” which slowly releases insect pheromones (chemical alerts) into the air over a very long time. It works by giving out a scent that fruit flies can’t resist, and as soon as they enter, they get caught and might’t escape.
The mission, led by Dr. S.N. Sushil, director of NBAIR, and carried by Dr. Ok.J. David, entomologist, scientist at NBAIR, and Dr. Deepa Bhagat, principal scientist in Organic Chemistry at NBAIR, has been developed on the institute’s PheraSense Nanotechnology and Chemical Synthesis Laboratory in Bengaluru.
At a look
Developed by ICAR – National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources (NBAIR), Bengaluru
Controlled-release pheromone system
Attracts and traps fruit flies in mango, guava, sapota & citrus crops
Made in India, price solely 1 / 4 of marketed options
Patent purposes filed within the U.S., Europe, Japan, China & Australia
Tested for 3 years throughout 11 Indian States
What units it aside
“The trap relies on natural chemical signals or pheromones, that fruit flies use to communicate. Scientists, for a long time, have used synthetic pheromones to attract and capture insects, but earlier devices such as glass vials, cotton wicks, rubber septa or wooden blocks had flaws. They either evaporated too quickly, degraded in sunlight or rain, or absorbed the pheromones without releasing them effectively. Farmers had to replace it every 7-15 days, adding to costs while some even needed refrigeration before use,” Mr. David defined.
The Shatpada lure, by means of its controlled-release expertise, tackles all these points. Instead of liquid vials or porous wooden, the pheromone is immobilised inside a specifically made semi-solid matrix. The design ensures that the chemical is launched slowly and evenly over 45 to 90 days, reasonably than in a burst adopted by speedy decline. The lure has a twin funnel-shaped design that guides flies inside and prevents their escape. This system, produced from sturdy, recyclable plastic, can also be climate resistant and can be utilized a number of occasions with new lures.
According to scientists, the system is a “controlled release pheromone device” which slowly releases insect pheromones (chemical alerts) into the air over a very long time.
| Photo Credit:
Special association
Trials throughout 11 States
Over three years, the lure, beneath the All India Coordinated Research Project on Fruits (AICRP-Fruits), was examined in mango, sapota, and guava orchards throughout India’s 11 main fruit belts, from Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh within the south to Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand within the north. In all of the instances, farmers reported that the brand new system captured extra flies than typical traps, stayed efficient for weeks longer and lowered the necessity for repeated pesticide sprays.
Ms. Bhagat highlighted that in contrast to earlier applied sciences, this semi-solid formulation is straightforward to move, requires no refrigeration, and is easy to scale up. Several industries are within the means of buying this expertise from ICAR–NBAIR. Once transferred, the product will likely be commercially obtainable at a aggressive worth level to learn farmers throughout India, she added.
