LichtFalle:Praxis – Exploring the potential of technology‑based disturb, attract and kill approaches for insect mass trapping

Abstract: The project LichtFalle:Praxis aims to test the application of a new technology-based
push-pull-method under working circumstances. The approach was established during a BLE
(Federal Office for Agriculture and Food, ger.: Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und
Ernährung) predecessor project called “LichtFalle”. The novel method is based on a disturbing (push) and an attracting (pull) component. While the attracting element is a LED-trap with green LED-lights (adjustable in intensity), the disturbing element consists of blue spectrum LEDlights. After attraction and landing on the on LED screen the target pest insect species are recognized by AI and eliminated by a low power laser beam. The developed prototype is currently tested under practical conditions by the cooperation partner Laser Zentrum Hannover e. V. and several growers with Trialeurodes vaporariorum as the focus pest species in greenhouse tomato cropping, while additional pest and beneficial insects relevant for commercial tomato production are evaluated for specific attraction to LED colours and possible disturbance methods on the crop. The project is funded by the German Ministry (EIP Agri) and cofinanced by the European Union.