Three provinces are using light traps to monitor pests on rice crops.
Along with Quang
The machine was manufactured by the Vietnam Plant Protection Department.
Mr. Vu Minh Ngoc, Head of the Plant Protection Station in Hai Hau District, who is directly responsible for managing and operating the light trap machine, said that the machine weighs about 300kg and costs about 100 million VND. The machine operates on mains electricity and consists of three main parts: an insect-attracting lamp, an automatic drying system, and a semiconductor electronic component.
A type of light trap. (Source: bioted.vn)
When it gets dark (around 6 PM), the machine will automatically turn on the insect-attracting light and turn it off at 5 AM the next morning. Insects attracted to the light will fall into the collection funnel at the base of the machine. Here, the insects will be dried using a hot air drying system with four temperature levels: 15-20°C; 25-35°C; 45-55°C; and 60-70°C.
The light trap machine has a total of 8 numbered insect collection bags. Each day, the dried insects fall into a separate cloth bag. After 8 days, technicians will remove the insects to isolate white-backed leafhoppers, small brown leafhoppers, leaf-rolling butterflies, stem borers, or rice-cutting butterflies.
The dried samples were collected, soaked in alcohol, and then sent directly to the Provincial Plant Protection Sub-Department.
According to VNA