Meet Our 2020 Finalists: Electrap
Electrap is a device to tackle red palm weevil infestation without pesticides, bait, or water. They are 1 of our 12 Finalist Teams who will compete in the upcoming FoodTech Challenge Awards Ceremony. Read more about them below.
What makes your team excited about your idea and food technology?:
ELECTRAPTM, in fact, is absolutely both pesticide and maintenance free: no need for water and bites refilling and is environmentally friendly. It is addressing the needs of the large majority of the GCC farmer families.
What is the biggest source of motivation for your team to work on this project?:
The RPW (Red Palm Weevils Rhynchophorus Ferrugineus/Palmarum) infestation is affecting the palm trees population in a severe way, creating damages that cost up to millions of USD every year. Nearly 50 countries in diverse agroecosystems worldwide have reported RPW infestation. Main affected cultivars are date, coconut, oil and decorative palm trees, which in turn affect family farmers in Africa, Middle East, Asia and South America. All the previous devices and systems used until now do not sufficiently trap these pests. These traps also need of a lot of expensive, continuous maintenance.
ELECTRAP is absolutely both pesticide and maintenance free: no need of water and bites refilling and it is so environmentally friendly.
Could you tell us something unique about your team that makes you a strong contender to be in the Top 4 winners?:
Our team is able to propose a revolutionary, patented invention in the UAE’s agricultural field, whose farmers hold deeply rooted traditions and habits.
Lastly, if you are selected as one of the four winners, how does your team plan to use the prize money?
Apart from a partial recovery of the initial research investment, we are looking for financial partnerships to:
- Start large scale production and worldwide distribution
- Complete and implement ongoing research on SMART ELECTRAP, which includes GPS and cloud-based catching monitoring
- Complete and implement ongoing research on the application of the same principles to other pests, starting from grain moths.
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