Solar-Powered Insect Trap: A potential alternative to pesticide

Farmers of Patuakhali are getting the opportunity to use the solar-powered insect trap that kills most of the pests that wreak havoc on crops.

A solar-powered insect trap stores power in a battery, with which a bulb glows for four hours from sunset. The harmful insects and flies hovering over the crops in search of food get attracted to the bright light and perish on the toxic water kept in a tub beneath it.

The agricultural officials come to the fields in the morning and observe the dead insects in the water of the tub. They identify the number of beneficial insects and harmful insects among the dead insects. Later, they advise the farmers to use pesticides in the field if the number of harmful insects is high.

Farmers are getting the opportunity to use this environment friendly technology for free and are benefiting from pest management.

However, the farmers and field-level agricultural officials said that the number of traps is lesser than needed. This technology has been proven to be beneficial to the farmers to protect the crop from the attack of harmful insects.

Yunus Hawlader, a farmer of Shiali village under Patuakhali Sadar upazila, has cultivated aman paddy on his two acres of land this year. He used kerosene oil-fueled light traps last year to prevent a pest invasion. But this year, the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) has set up a solar-powered insect trap on his paddy field.

"I prefer the technology provided by the DAE as it is eco-friendly and cheaper than kerosene-fueled one. As a result, we can use it with ease," he said.

Farmer Abdul Latif, a neighbour of Yunus, has cultivated aman on his three acres of land. A solar-powered insect trap has also been installed beside his paddy field.

The technology is very beneficial and not harmful to the environment, he added.

Abdul Mannan, another farmer in the village, said the number of solar-powered insect traps should be increased so that more farmers can have access to the technology.

Abdul Awal, deputy assistant agriculture officer of Shiali area, said the solar-powered insect trap is very useful for farmers and it can play a crucial role to prevent pest invasion without harming the environment.

As it is cost-effective and environment friendly, farmers are showing interest to use it, he said.

"However, the allocation of the traps is lesser than required. My work area comprises three villages but I have been provided only four such traps. More farmers would have been benefited, if the number of the traps had been increased," he added.

Md Mohiuddin, deputy director of Patuakhali DAE, said that only 180 solar-powered insect traps have been distributed in eight upazilas of Patuakhali. These include 24 traps in Patuakhali Sadar upazila and Kalapara each and 22 traps each in Baufal, Galachipa, Dashmina, Mirzaganj, Dumki and Rangabali upazilas.