Mr. Shrirang Chandekar, Director, LeanWay Energy Pvt Ltd, Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad Area explains about The BuzzZap Solar Insect Trap: A highly effective solution for insect control in agriculture.
BuzzZap is basically a solar insect trap. Our company is working on developing various products in the field of renewable energy, agriculture, to ensure that our products are sustainable. These products are import substitutes, and they include electronic water conditioners, solar insect traps, and solar roof top projects.
The basic problem is the amount of insecticides and pesticides being used which are harmful human beings in large scale. Pest management is the most critical issue in agriculture. Using pesticides may or may not be the only answer because there are insects which cannot be controlled even by insecticides as they develop better immunity. It causes health hazards not only to farmers but also consumers. When exporting, we have to abide by the restrictions on usage of insecticide. If there are residue levels, export is hampered. Farmers are spending more money on chemicals hoping that the yield would increase, but actually the yield does not increase, and the soil fertility goes down.
When we start with farm inputs such as crop selection, land preparation, irrigation, insecticide, crop growing, and crop harvesting, it is majorly the insecticide and pesticide that hike the cost, and this is because we do not know the level of output and how the selling price would be. So it is important that reduction of input cost is given importance. Optimum usage of chemicals is very important and critical governing a good agriculture practice right now. Our mission is to create engineering solutions that are affordable and dependable using renewable energy to positively impact agriculture. We have a vision to impact a million lives through reduction in use of fossil fuels, insecticides, and pesticides. We have come up with two very good products, BuzzZap and BuzzZap mini. BuzzZap is the best product in India, and we are supplying to USA, France, Mexico, New Zealand, Australia, and we have community of agriculturists or farmers around the world who use our product for integrated pest management. BuzzZap covers 1 to 2 acres of land. BuzzZap Mini covers half an acre. There are differences between the two machines. We have also filed patents for the machines. They work on solar power.
We started designing BuzzZap in 2012-13. We understood the shortfalls and problems arising in the farms, and the major one was pests. So we wanted to design solar insect traps. There are many inset traps in the market, but they do not work properly. The most important part of the solar traps is the lamp that attracts the insets, and we have engineered the product to about 99% perfection which makes the farmers happy about it. We have conducted trials in different farms and crops to understand the different phototropic insects that will be attracted. It can be installed in rice, sugarcane, cotton, fruits or vegetable fields. We have installed the product in Assam tea gardens and Himachal Pradesh. We did a study on the behavioural pattern of the insects, and we found the pattern which time exactly the insects are predominant. The farmer does not have to worry about the BuzzZap. He just need to install the machine, and it will start working. It is a very farmer-friendly one. The farmers have to just install it, and it will turn on the machine which will work 3 to 4 hours after sunset and shut down. The functions are automatically and controlled by powerful batteries after installing which the farmers need not worry. They need to understand the pattern, and time when the enemy insects are predominant. We have always wanted the machines to be farmer friendly. We use LiFePO.4 batteries which have life for more than 3 years, and it works on solar power during the day and batteries are charged by solar power which is used during the working hours.
It works on the theory that positively photostatic insects are drawn to the lights because they act as navigational guide and use the light from sun and moon in a particular angle. We have used this principle in the machines. They are capable of attracting more than 1800 types of insects and families. We got the machine certified by ICAR. We have all the paper work done to test the machine, understand its working, and to reduce the usage of insecticide and pesticide if found successful. We have a huge list of NGOs and government companies like DS group.
When we started the work, we found the enemy insects are very predominant after sunset. That is the time exactly we wanted the machines to start and shut down after 3 to 4 hours. There are friendly insects which come to eat the enemy insects which are killed. This is the pattern we work on, and we have successfully implemented the BuzzZap in many places. We can get all the specifications from our website BuzzZap.in. We have installed the machines for most of the crops in India, such as vegetable, fruits, flower gardens, polyhouses, vineyards, tea, and coffee plantations. We have installed them after thorough testing and have come up with excellent results. Many farmers have saved the expense up to 50 to 60% on pesticides and insecticides because of BuzzZap, and usage of these chemicals has come down considerably. Many a times when the farmers use pesticide and insecticide, still there are insects that cause problems especially in fruits when they make a hole in the fruits which we cannot know till the harvesting is done. BuzzZap has been instrumental in controlling these kinds of insects because within a few weeks or months the reproduction of the enemy insects is controlled, and thus production increases.
We have installed the machines in various places like grain storage, agriculture, poultry, and dairy farming. In dairies and cow sheds in Maharashtra a diseases called lumpy was spreading, and wherever we installed the machines, we got the feedback that the disease did not affect the cattle which is very encouraging, but we do not have written data to support this. We have got reliable details that the diseases rising because of flying insects have been controlled as they are killed in their flying stage. We have installed as many as 500 machines in various farms especially in orchards of apricots and peaches and seen good results. In Mexico, they have installed in avocado orchards and other plantations and seen good results.
In India, organic farming is gaining lot of importance, and it is extremely important to have good pest management system. BuzzZap has been instrumental in lots of such places. In Assam tea gardens we have installed our machines, and they are happy with the results there. In Maharashtra, near Solapur, we have installed 300 machines in the pomegranate orchard and 100 machines for drumstick which was affected by a black fly. After installing BuzzZap, the problem has been brought under control. Fruits like grapes and vegetables like tomato, capsicum are affected by white flies. With installation of BuzzZap, the problem has been brought under control. Our customers range all over the world is increasing, and we are extremely focused on the quality of the product and cost of the same. Small farmers should also be able to install BuzzZap. We are selling the machines competing with the Chinese market. Our product is standing tall with excellent results. We have certifications from government institutes that the product has been tested and proven one. Our very good team ensures to show good results.
How does BuzzZap solar inset trap controls insects in agriculture? What types of pests and insects are effectively targeted by the technology? Are there any specific crops or regions where this is beneficial? Are there any ongoing operational costs associated with the trap?
We have installed a light in the trap, and all the insects that are enemy insects and phototropic get attracted towards the light also get attracted to this light in BuzzZap, come close to the wire mesh around the light, get electrocuted and killed. This is how we control the enemy insects. The BuzzZap has a light source, there is a wire mesh around the light. Insects come and get attracted towards the light source, get electrocuted and killed. They fall into the tray kept below. The targeted insects are the enemy insets. There are hundreds of them. Every crop attract a particular type of enemy insects. The predominance of enemy insects is after sunset, and that is how we are able to attract them. We have done the testing of the equipment in ICAR and got the certificate from them. During the testing phase, they have identified different kinds of families, and types such as lepidopterans, hipidopetran. We are able to attract all the enemy insects which are phototropic. BuzzZap can be used in all the crops. After a year or 1.5 years, we have to change the light tube, and after 2 years, we have to change the battery. Otherwise there is no ongoing operational cost for the BuzzZap at all.
How can farmers integrate BuzzZap solar insect trap into their pest management strategy?
Each farmer has their own pest management strategy. They have to start somewhere if they want to reduce the use of insecticide and pesticide. We generally ask the farmers to install the BuzzZap first. At least one month, they have to check what insects and kind of insets get killed. Based on this, the farmers should be able to understand if they can capture the right categories of insects and reduce the use of insecticide for the particular insect. In one or two months of usage, they can reduce the cost of insecticide also.
Are there any ongoing support or training resources to farmers who are using these traps? How does the cost of implementing this trap compared to pest control method?
It is actually a self-explanatory device. When we supply the traps, we also provide an instruction manual to help the farmers install the machines on their own. It is very easy to install. We have to just insert the bulb and turn it on. We have created the product extremely user-friendly. I do not think any education or training is required to install the BuzzZap trap. The data available with us is extremely variable. Different crops have different kinds of pesticide treatment. But if you look at per acre cost, it is not less than about Rs. 40 thousand a year for insecticide and pesticide depending on the crop and yield. When BuzzZap is installed, the cost reduces by 30% within a year, and next year it goes down by 50%. In less than 6 months we can get the money back. It is a machine that comes lifelong. We just need to change the battery and bulb, and it keeps going.
How does solar power have the impact on costs and sustainability in inset control? What environmental and safe considerations should the farmers follow when using this trap?
We are using solar power because when we integrate the solar system through our controlling system, we do not have to do anything. On an Off the device is absolutely automatic. We do not have to do anything. That is why the combination of renewable energy in agriculture products is used with the help of solar panels. There is no environmental issue at all as far as BuzzZap is concerned. For safety concerns, we have the safety instructions on the machine. One should not touch the wire mesh on it, and otherwise it is a safety hazard free machine.
What is the maintenance required for the BuzzZap, and how long does it last? In India, which states have you installed the traps, and can you name some clients?
There is no maintenance needed for this BuzzZap except changing the bulb, tube, and cleaning the solar panel. I have clients all over India, starting from Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Kerala, and Karnataka. We work with lot of NGOs, and an NGO called BAIF, HDFC Foundation, and ICICI Foundation. There are lots of NGOs that we work with because of which our products have reached to a lot of places all over India.
Mr Shrirang Chanderkar
shrirang@leanwayenergy.com
Phone 9881248812
BuzzZap is basically a solar insect trap. Our company is working on developing various products in the field of renewable energy, agriculture, to ensure that our products are sustainable. These products are import substitutes, and they include electronic water conditioners, solar insect traps, and solar roof top projects.
The basic problem is the amount of insecticides and pesticides being used which are harmful human beings in large scale. Pest management is the most critical issue in agriculture. Using pesticides may or may not be the only answer because there are insects which cannot be controlled even by insecticides as they develop better immunity. It causes health hazards not only to farmers but also consumers. When exporting, we have to abide by the restrictions on usage of insecticide. If there are residue levels, export is hampered. Farmers are spending more money on chemicals hoping that the yield would increase, but actually the yield does not increase, and the soil fertility goes down.
When we start with farm inputs such as crop selection, land preparation, irrigation, insecticide, crop growing, and crop harvesting, it is majorly the insecticide and pesticide that hike the cost, and this is because we do not know the level of output and how the selling price would be. So it is important that reduction of input cost is given importance. Optimum usage of chemicals is very important and critical governing a good agriculture practice right now. Our mission is to create engineering solutions that are affordable and dependable using renewable energy to positively impact agriculture. We have a vision to impact a million lives through reduction in use of fossil fuels, insecticides, and pesticides. We have come up with two very good products, BuzzZap and BuzzZap mini. BuzzZap is the best product in India, and we are supplying to USA, France, Mexico, New Zealand, Australia, and we have community of agriculturists or farmers around the world who use our product for integrated pest management. BuzzZap covers 1 to 2 acres of land. BuzzZap Mini covers half an acre. There are differences between the two machines. We have also filed patents for the machines. They work on solar power.
We started designing BuzzZap in 2012-13. We understood the shortfalls and problems arising in the farms, and the major one was pests. So we wanted to design solar insect traps. There are many inset traps in the market, but they do not work properly. The most important part of the solar traps is the lamp that attracts the insets, and we have engineered the product to about 99% perfection which makes the farmers happy about it. We have conducted trials in different farms and crops to understand the different phototropic insects that will be attracted. It can be installed in rice, sugarcane, cotton, fruits or vegetable fields. We have installed the product in Assam tea gardens and Himachal Pradesh. We did a study on the behavioural pattern of the insects, and we found the pattern which time exactly the insects are predominant. The farmer does not have to worry about the BuzzZap. He just need to install the machine, and it will start working. It is a very farmer-friendly one. The farmers have to just install it, and it will turn on the machine which will work 3 to 4 hours after sunset and shut down. The functions are automatically and controlled by powerful batteries after installing which the farmers need not worry. They need to understand the pattern, and time when the enemy insects are predominant. We have always wanted the machines to be farmer friendly. We use LiFePO.4 batteries which have life for more than 3 years, and it works on solar power during the day and batteries are charged by solar power which is used during the working hours.
It works on the theory that positively photostatic insects are drawn to the lights because they act as navigational guide and use the light from sun and moon in a particular angle. We have used this principle in the machines. They are capable of attracting more than 1800 types of insects and families. We got the machine certified by ICAR. We have all the paper work done to test the machine, understand its working, and to reduce the usage of insecticide and pesticide if found successful. We have a huge list of NGOs and government companies like DS group.
When we started the work, we found the enemy insects are very predominant after sunset. That is the time exactly we wanted the machines to start and shut down after 3 to 4 hours. There are friendly insects which come to eat the enemy insects which are killed. This is the pattern we work on, and we have successfully implemented the BuzzZap in many places. We can get all the specifications from our website BuzzZap.in. We have installed the machines for most of the crops in India, such as vegetable, fruits, flower gardens, polyhouses, vineyards, tea, and coffee plantations. We have installed them after thorough testing and have come up with excellent results. Many farmers have saved the expense up to 50 to 60% on pesticides and insecticides because of BuzzZap, and usage of these chemicals has come down considerably. Many a times when the farmers use pesticide and insecticide, still there are insects that cause problems especially in fruits when they make a hole in the fruits which we cannot know till the harvesting is done. BuzzZap has been instrumental in controlling these kinds of insects because within a few weeks or months the reproduction of the enemy insects is controlled, and thus production increases.
We have installed the machines in various places like grain storage, agriculture, poultry, and dairy farming. In dairies and cow sheds in Maharashtra a diseases called lumpy was spreading, and wherever we installed the machines, we got the feedback that the disease did not affect the cattle which is very encouraging, but we do not have written data to support this. We have got reliable details that the diseases rising because of flying insects have been controlled as they are killed in their flying stage. We have installed as many as 500 machines in various farms especially in orchards of apricots and peaches and seen good results. In Mexico, they have installed in avocado orchards and other plantations and seen good results.
In India, organic farming is gaining lot of importance, and it is extremely important to have good pest management system. BuzzZap has been instrumental in lots of such places. In Assam tea gardens we have installed our machines, and they are happy with the results there. In Maharashtra, near Solapur, we have installed 300 machines in the pomegranate orchard and 100 machines for drumstick which was affected by a black fly. After installing BuzzZap, the problem has been brought under control. Fruits like grapes and vegetables like tomato, capsicum are affected by white flies. With installation of BuzzZap, the problem has been brought under control. Our customers range all over the world is increasing, and we are extremely focused on the quality of the product and cost of the same. Small farmers should also be able to install BuzzZap. We are selling the machines competing with the Chinese market. Our product is standing tall with excellent results. We have certifications from government institutes that the product has been tested and proven one. Our very good team ensures to show good results.
How does BuzzZap solar inset trap controls insects in agriculture? What types of pests and insects are effectively targeted by the technology? Are there any specific crops or regions where this is beneficial? Are there any ongoing operational costs associated with the trap?
We have installed a light in the trap, and all the insects that are enemy insects and phototropic get attracted towards the light also get attracted to this light in BuzzZap, come close to the wire mesh around the light, get electrocuted and killed. This is how we control the enemy insects. The BuzzZap has a light source, there is a wire mesh around the light. Insects come and get attracted towards the light source, get electrocuted and killed. They fall into the tray kept below. The targeted insects are the enemy insets. There are hundreds of them. Every crop attract a particular type of enemy insects. The predominance of enemy insects is after sunset, and that is how we are able to attract them. We have done the testing of the equipment in ICAR and got the certificate from them. During the testing phase, they have identified different kinds of families, and types such as lepidopterans, hipidopetran. We are able to attract all the enemy insects which are phototropic. BuzzZap can be used in all the crops. After a year or 1.5 years, we have to change the light tube, and after 2 years, we have to change the battery. Otherwise there is no ongoing operational cost for the BuzzZap at all.
How can farmers integrate BuzzZap solar insect trap into their pest management strategy?
Each farmer has their own pest management strategy. They have to start somewhere if they want to reduce the use of insecticide and pesticide. We generally ask the farmers to install the BuzzZap first. At least one month, they have to check what insects and kind of insets get killed. Based on this, the farmers should be able to understand if they can capture the right categories of insects and reduce the use of insecticide for the particular insect. In one or two months of usage, they can reduce the cost of insecticide also.
Are there any ongoing support or training resources to farmers who are using these traps? How does the cost of implementing this trap compared to pest control method?
It is actually a self-explanatory device. When we supply the traps, we also provide an instruction manual to help the farmers install the machines on their own. It is very easy to install. We have to just insert the bulb and turn it on. We have created the product extremely user-friendly. I do not think any education or training is required to install the BuzzZap trap. The data available with us is extremely variable. Different crops have different kinds of pesticide treatment. But if you look at per acre cost, it is not less than about Rs. 40 thousand a year for insecticide and pesticide depending on the crop and yield. When BuzzZap is installed, the cost reduces by 30% within a year, and next year it goes down by 50%. In less than 6 months we can get the money back. It is a machine that comes lifelong. We just need to change the battery and bulb, and it keeps going.
How does solar power have the impact on costs and sustainability in inset control? What environmental and safe considerations should the farmers follow when using this trap?
We are using solar power because when we integrate the solar system through our controlling system, we do not have to do anything. On an Off the device is absolutely automatic. We do not have to do anything. That is why the combination of renewable energy in agriculture products is used with the help of solar panels. There is no environmental issue at all as far as BuzzZap is concerned. For safety concerns, we have the safety instructions on the machine. One should not touch the wire mesh on it, and otherwise it is a safety hazard free machine.
What is the maintenance required for the BuzzZap, and how long does it last? In India, which states have you installed the traps, and can you name some clients?
There is no maintenance needed for this BuzzZap except changing the bulb, tube, and cleaning the solar panel. I have clients all over India, starting from Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Kerala, and Karnataka. We work with lot of NGOs, and an NGO called BAIF, HDFC Foundation, and ICICI Foundation. There are lots of NGOs that we work with because of which our products have reached to a lot of places all over India.
Mr Shrirang Chanderkar
shrirang@leanwayenergy.com
Phone 9881248812