Environment-friendly experimental solar-powered UV light pest trapping mechanism for open agricultural fields

Abstract With agriculture employing more than half of the country’s workforce, a considerable number of individuals are at risk from using toxic chemicals and pesticides. To achieve environmental and financial sustainability in agriculture, safe, effective, and sustainable alternative pest management technologies must be explored. This article proposes using UV light to develop a long-term pest control solution for farmers. The system consists of three main components: a solar panel unit, an electronics controller unit, and a mechanical trapping system. The first component, the solar unit, provides electricity to the controller and other peripheral components of the control unit. The second component, the controller unit, serves as the system’s brain. It receives commands from sensors and activates the UV LED strips accordingly. The system’s code is optimized to minimize battery consumption and adjust LED brightness based on the time of day. The final component is the mechanical trapping system, designed to manage plant pests on agricultural land. The housing integrates all components to maximize insect capture. Six LED strips were evaluated at various current rates, with an optimal load-bearing current of 80 mA selected. The trap system prototype was successfully constructed and deployed on farmland. Results demonstrated the effectiveness of the UV LED strips for insect trapping, and a water-oil-coated pan captured a substantial number of pests in cyclic operation. Using artificial illumination, the automatic pest control system effectively limits pest activity, providing a safer alternative for human operators and eliminating the need for harmful chemical pesticides.