LED Lights That Lure Moths to "Flame" Are "Merciless Killers"

Moths like to fly into flames, while pests like to "fly into lights." There is no need to spray pesticides—a special agricultural LED lamp can be used to lure pests and "kill" them. This is not a fantasy, but a new technology that uses light to attract and eliminate pests. At the 2011 Chengdu Vegetable Industry Scientific and Technological Achievements, Demands and Project Promotion Conference hosted by the Municipal Science and Technology Bureau, a batch of practical and forward-looking latest scientific and technological achievements and technologies were unveiled. In addition to LED lights that catch insects, there were 65 new scientific and technological achievements and new technologies for the vegetable industry, including technically "virus-free" potatoes and pesticides with toxicity lower than table salt, which were truly eye-opening.

　　LED Bug-Killing Light: Has Special Skills and Saves Energy

　　At the promotion conference site, a tower-shaped LED light emits colorful light, which is particularly eye-catching. Above the "tower" is a solar panel—could it be a solar lighting lamp? The technician introduced that this is a special agricultural LED light used to kill pests. "Have you heard of 'moths flying into flame'? This LED light uses this principle to generate light that pests like, luring them over and killing them."

　　According to reports, the solar panel above the LED insecticidal lamp can absorb solar energy, convert it into electrical energy, and store it in a battery. "The lighting time can be set at will. During the set time period, the LED lamp is on, and it is off for the rest of the time, which is very energy-saving and environmentally friendly." A technician told a reporter from Chengdu Evening News that ordinary insecticidal lamps use fluorescent lamps, black light lamps, etc., with a general service life of 2,000 to 5,000 hours, while LED insecticidal lamps can be used for 30,000 to 50,000 hours. Moreover, the light source of LED insecticidal lamps can also be adjusted to target specific insects.

　　According to reports, this technological achievement has been applied in more than ten demonstration sites including Shuangliu and Santai. Next, experimental demonstrations will be carried out in representative crop production areas in 80 counties of the province. After the demonstrations, it will be promoted on a large scale.

　　"Virus-free" Fruits and Vegetables – Strong Foundation, Excellent Environment

　　At the promotion meeting, a batch of virus-free strawberries, virus-free potatoes, and virus-free ginger was also displayed. "Virus-free" is a biotechnology. "For example, this kind of virus-free strawberry was cultivated using virus-free technology," a technician said, pointing to a pot of strawberries that had already produced green fruits. "Plants, like humans, have various bacteria in their bodies. And under the stimulation of the external environment, some bacteria can easily give rise to diseases. The probability of disease infection in fruits and vegetables that adopt virus-free technology is very low."

　　"Virus-free strawberries have another pleasant alias, called milk strawberries or chocolate strawberries. The taste is sweet and tender, as silky as milk or chocolate," according to the introduction. The fastest growing part of a plant is the stem tip. As it grows, the bacteria naturally present in the plant are also multiplying. "Therefore, when the stem tip just begins to grow, we take a stem tip less than one millimeter and send it to a fully enclosed sterile room for cultivation, letting it slowly grow, mature, and blossom and bear fruit. This is equivalent to selecting the healthiest body and cultivating it in the cleanest environment. The plant is almost immune to diseases and pests during the growth process, thus avoiding the need for pesticide application. The fruits and vegetables cultivated in this way not only meet quality standards, but also have an excellent taste."