IoTree

Project "IoTree" data sheet

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 Project objective

Agrint has developed IoTree, the first seismic sensor for electronic detection of the Red Palm Weevil (member of Coleoptera: Curculionidae), by detecting the burrowing activity of larvae inside the tree, in early stages. Agrint’s technology is designed to keep pest management costs to a bare minimum. The sensor’s ability to detect the weevil at a larval stage means the tree can be saved and pesticides are only applied to infested trees. Later on the technology will be applied to detect additional tree borers. Originating in southern Asia and Melanesia, where it is a serious pest of coconuts, this weevil has been advancing westwards very rapidly since the mid-1980s. Damage to palms is produced mainly by the larvae that move towards the interior of the palm making tunnels and large cavities. They can be found in any place within the palm, even in the very base of the trunk where the roots emerge. The palm tree does not show any signs of distress, until a few months later, when it begins to lose its strength. When the first symptoms of the attack appear, they are so serious that they generally result in the death of the tree. At this point, it is too late to save the tree and at the same time dozens of weevils fly off the dying tree, ready to attack new ones. Late detection constitutes a serious problem in the fight against the pest and in any attempt to guarantee pest-free status in adult trees. Overlapping generations with all life stages can be present within the same palm tree. Generally the adult weevils will not move to another palm while they can feed on it. Before IoTree, there were no effective early detection tool against the weevil as it became a worldwide catastrophe. Thus, farmers were forced to use frequent pesticide spraying. However, pesticides only offer short-term protection and must be repeated throughout the year, with a consequently costly management over time. According to the FAO, 2% of new palm tree are infected yearly.