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iMetosTRAP: Alert automatic system for pest occurrence on crops

On 15th December, 2011, during the 23rd Forum of Vegetable Medicine in Bari (Italy), Eleonora Filippi, key account manager in Italy for Pessl Instruments, presented 'iMetosTRAP', the Automatic Pheromon Trap of the Austrian company with Italian offices in Trento.

The truly innovative trap created great interests and curiosity among technicians attended the event. It is an alert automatic system, a combination of software and hardware solutions for automation of warning of occurrence of codling moth (Cydia pomonella) as well as some other moths (for example Eupoecilia ambiguella).




In the pictures, holistic application of iMetos technology: weather station, pest monitoring, irrigation management and clever automation.

The solution consist of automated taking of pictures of sticky plate in delta trap, sending data to the server, automatic recognition of target pests from the image, combining image data with weather data and providing alerts as well as detailed information either on web or on mobile phone. For all this a GPRS enable SIM card (for the trap) and access to web are needed. For mobile phone application Java ME enabled phone. In the field device is self sufficient, powered by solar panel and battery. For attracting moths pheromones of your favourite producer will be needed as well.

In practice, six micro video cameras with flash take high resolution snapshots of capture. Snapshots are sent via GPRS to the web platform, where they are stored, processed with automatic detection of pests and made available in real-time for users on any device connected to Internet. Via a centralizing control on GIS basis and in real-time of pest development, there is no need to go to the field just to monitor whether something was caught.



With keeping daily snapshots on the server, with all needed metadata (numbers of pests, percentage of sticky surface covered, difference compared to previous data, ...), it is an excellent platform/source of data for further processing, analysis, research and better decision making based on history data.

Monitoring allows to establish daily biological stages (biofix) and, consequently, a better input for phenological models. Notifications/alarms are triggered automatically when image is processed.

iMetosTRAP has different advantages, including automatic data collection, avoid lots of field trips (very significant savings of time and travel costs), automation of pests recognition (resulting in very significant reduction of attention needed by human), warning about significant increase of pests, full sticky plate needing to be changed, etc..., keeping history of daily snapshots, combining of weather data with data from traps, verification of phenological models.

iMetosTRAP is a valid help for producers in defending from pests with accuracy, protecting produce and saving resources (time, phytosanitary products and fuel).

Contact:
Eleonora Filippi
PESSL INSTRUMENTS Italia
Via del Porfido, 19
38121 Trento
Tel: +39 333 2117824