The United States of America As Represented by the Secretary of

Other

Carl A Litzkow

Dennis Shuman

J C Webb

Kenneth W Vick

James A Coffelt

Sergey Kruss

Shuichi Masuda

David O Wietlisbach

Frederick L Petitt

An automated system has been developed that can acquire and remotely display data indicative of infestation levels in stored agricultural commodities. The system accurately records and time stamps each insect detection, across a full range of pertinent species' sizes, as they drop through a probe containing a sensor head.

Electronic grain probe insect counter (EGPIC)

An automated system has been developed to count and package beneficial insect larvae or eggs and includes a funnel-shaped container which sits in the top portion of a sensor head and a turntable with multiple containers located below the sensor head, for collecting larvae or eggs as they drop through the sensor head. The system accurately records the number and time stamps each insect larva or egg detection as they drop through a sensor head.

Beneficial insect counting and packaging device

A device and a method for locating and counting insects in agricultural commodities has been developed. Acoustic sensors pick up sounds emanating from adult and or larval insects. The electrical outputs of the sensors are amplified and analyzed to determine (1) the first sensor to detect the sound, (2) the second sensor to detect the sound and (3) the time difference between the first and second detection. These determinations are used to calculate the locations and numbers of insects in the agricultural commodity samples.

Acoustic location fixing insect detector

Detection, and optionally quantification, of insect infestation in an agricultural commodity is provided by a pitfall probe trap which permits detection of the presence or absence of live insects in the trap and optionally estimation of the number of insects in the trap. The present invention may be utilized to detect infestation by a variety of different insects such as: red flour beetle, lesser grain borer, rice weevil, rusty grain beetle, and saw tooth grain beetle; in numerous types of agricultural commodities including corn, wheat, rice, seeds, nuts, oats, barley, cotton or any similar commodity which may be infested during storage. Various embodiments are disclosed including use of the traps in a device for telemetry, in various container means for containing an agricultural commodity including e.g. truck, ship, railroad car or storage bin such as a silo or grain elevator.

Insect detection using a pitfall probe trap having vibration detection

Detection of insect infestation in an agricultural commodity is provided by piezoelectric means for generating electricity in response to vibration only of a frequency above about 500 Hertz, in vibrational communication with the agricultural commodity. The present invention may be utilized to detect infestation by a variety of different insects such as rice weevil, lesser grain borer, angoumais moth, in numerous types of agricultural commodities including corn, wheat, rice nuts, cotton, etc.. Various embodiments are disclosed including use of the piezoelectric means, on a probe, with a sample cup, in a device for telemetry, and with various container means for containing an agricultural commodity including e.g. a truck, ship, railroad car and storage bin such as a silo or grain elevator.

Piezoelectric apparatus and process for detection of insect infestation

The sound created by moving and chewing of insect larvae infested inside an agricultural commodity is acoustically detected and amplified, and thereafter transduced into an electrical signal which is electrically amplified for observation.

Growing community of inventors

Newberry, FL, United States of America

Carl A Litzkow