Pneumatic Insect Control for Organic Production

Written by Rosaria Campbell for the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada (click here for Full Reference)

What is Pneumatic Insect Control?

Pneumatic equipment uses moving airstreams to dislodge insects from crop plants and then collects them from the dislodging airstream. The dislodging airstream may be either negative pressure (vacuum) or positive pressure (blowing). Dislodged insects are either collected in the vacuum stream and destroyed in turbines, or blown onto a collection device opposite the airstream. The two most common applications of this technology have been the control of the Colorado potato beetle (CPB) in potato fields and of the tarnished plant bug (TPB) in strawberry crops.

What Type of Equipment is Used?

Does Pneumatic Equipment Damage the Crop?

How Effective is Pneumatic Insect Control?

What are the Benefits and Costs Pneumatic Insect Control?

Related Links:

The following links provide further information on other research in this area, and on the practical applications of pneumatic insect control:

"Bug Vacuums" for Organic Crop Protection.
George Keupper, Agricultural Specialist, National Center for Appropriate Technology.
Raeven Thomas, Agricultural Specialist, National Center for Appropriate Technology.

Bio-collector as an Alternative Method for the Control of the Colorado Potato Beetle in Organic Farming.
Dr. Bartošová, Slovak University of Agriculture, Nitra.
N.M. Rifai, Department of Engineering, Nova Scotia Agricultural College, Truro, NS.

Physical Control of Colorado Beetle in Comparison with Bio-insecticide.
N.M. Rifai, Department of Engineering, Nova Scotia Agricultural College, Truro, NS.
Dr. Táborský, Czech University of Agriculture.

Possibilities for Non-chemical Control of Colorado Potato Beetle.
N.M. Rifai, Department of Engineering, Nova Scotia Agricultural College, Truro, NS.
Mr. Norbert Kungel, Organic Vegetable Farmer, Walton, NS.

Information on pest management for organic production can be found at:

Pests in Organic Systems and Promising Solutions
Av Singh, Ph.D., P.Ag.

Organic Potato Production - A Pest Management Perspective - Part 1, Insect Control.
Guy Bernard, Potato Pest Management Specialist, New Brunswick Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Aquaculture.

References:

1. Campbell, R., N.M. Rifai and R. C. Martin. 2003 (In Process). The potential for thermal and pneumatic weed and insect control in organic production. Canadian Biosystems Engineering. Submitted for review April, 2003.

2. Khelifi, M., C. Lague and B. Lacasse.1995. Potato plant damage caused by pneumatic removal of Colorado potato beetles. Canadian Agricultural Engineering 37(2): 81-84.

3. Lacasse, B., C. Lague, M. Khelifi and P.M. Roy. 1998. Effects of airflow velocity and travel speed on the removal of Colorado potato beetles from potato plants. Canadian Agricultural Engineering 40 (4): 265-272.

4. Vincent, C. and G. Boiteau. 2001. Pneumatic control of agricultural insect pests. In Physical Control Methods in Plant Protection/La Lutte Physique en Phytoprotection, eds. C. Vincent, B. Panneton and F. Fleurat-Lessard, 270-281. New York: Springer-Verlag.

For more information please call the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada at 902-893-7256 or email oacc@nsac.ca

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