The eggplant fruit and shoot borer (EFSB) is one of eggplant’s most destructive insect pests. It causes up to 90-percent yield loss at severe disease pressure.
To prevent yield loss, farmers rely heavily on insecticides for EFSB pest management.
However, this method is not environment-friendly, not sustainable and may pose health hazards.
Amid this backdrop, University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) researchers developed a software to track EFSB.
The study is a component of the project, “Development of Improved Eggplant Varieties with New Plant Defense Genes for Multiple Insect Resistance Using Innovative Technologies.”
It is being implemented by UPLB and funded by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD).
According to Dr. Edna A. Anit, director of the Crops Research Division of DOST-PCAARRD, identifying eggplant varieties with tolerance or resistance genes are important in developing new varieties resistant to EFSB.
She explained that development of resistant varieties would eventually increase the production of eggplant. Thus, the farmers’ profit will increase due to reduction in costs incurred from using insecticides.
Tracking EFSB behavior, feeding patterns
Called EFSB motion tracking software, the application is a low-cost innovative technology that would enable researchers to determine EFSB’s most or least preferred eggplant variety.
Using a USB or a web camera, the software will track the movement, behavior and feeding patterns of EFSB.
The software will track to which among the slices of different eggplant varieties the larva will probe or bury itself in. It will precisely, rapidly and simply document larval movement and feeding preference.
Because the technology uses a software, the test samples and resources used for the study are minimized.
Moreover, the software can be used to track other lepidopteran insects other than EFSB.
Innovative method
Information technology-based applications like the EFSB motion-tracking software is a new, innovative method to help researchers in developing new varieties of economically important crops, such as eggplant.
The project uses technological innovations in other fields, such as computer science, in the pursuit of increasing agricultural productivity.
This EFSB motion-tracking software is one of the technologies featured during the National Science and Technology Week from November 23 to 29.
For more information about DOST-PCAARRD’s technologies, visit the virtual exhibits at https://bit.ly/PCAARRDExhibits.
Image credits: CRD, PCAARRD, Dr. Val Randolf M. Madrid, UPLB