Trapview, the EFOS automated trap able to capture and monitor more than 60 pest insect species, was presented at Interpoma for the first time and impressed visitors as a very useful and sustainable tool for combating codling moth within integrated pest management and organic growing systems. This commitment has been recognized with a Special Mention in the Interpoma Award.
Andrea L. Launeck, Director of Trapview Italia, stated, “We are extremely pleased with this achievement. The Special Mention, associated with the award Digital Technologies for More Sustainable Apple Orchard Management, acknowledges our commitment to providing innovative and sustainable solutions for crop protection, benefiting both agricultural businesses and the community.”
Installing traps in apple plantations from March-April, when this moth’s caterpillars start to form chrysalises, through to harvest, allows possible developments to be monitored to prevent threats to crop quality.
This all leads to a reduction in pesticide use, in France for example, independent tests on apple plantations have shown a 42% saving in insecticide applications compared to standard plant protection protocols. This enabled Trapview to receive the CEPP certification from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food for use in vineyards and apple plantations.
A precision farming solution
Trapview is a convenient, very accurate precision farming solution that uses digital technologies and artificial intelligence. Each trap can monitor up to about 30 hectares depending on the crop, pest and area, and has a lifecycle of about 5 years. No operator intervention is required except to place the trap in the area for monitoring and to replace the pheromone once a month. With photovoltaic cells and a storage battery it is self-sufficient in energy and involves no maintenance, at least over the course of a growing season. What’s more, when the section of tape which traps the insects is full the roll can be simply run forward from remote.
In addition, Trapview uses its smart sensors to acquire numerical and photographic data which are collected and processed in a cloud platform. It uses the information gathered from the apple plantation to generate customisable automated reporting that can be viewed in real time, on a daily basis, from any IT device, via an app and in the form of infographics and tables.
The data processing software is based on machine learning principles and is therefore also able to provide more than 80%-accurate predictive analyses on the evolution of the codling moth population based on the interaction of several indicators: number of target pests detected (with precision over 90%), weather forecasts and climate and microclimate of the growing area. Trapview uses this information and a photographic database of more than 30 million images to construct forecasting models which enable assessment of the evolution of the plant-eating insect in all its growth stages and planning and simulation of where, how and when protective measures should be adopted.
“Trapview is a decision-making support system that helps producers to grow healthier foods while minimising environmental impact,” explains Andrea L. Launeck, director of Trapview Italia. “At the same time, it enables the achievement of constant, higher crop quality, improving financial returns.”
