Abstract
The introduction of the cotton boll weevil is considered a milestone in Brazilian cotton growing. The experience gained since then, 35 years later, indicates that this may be one of the most damaging pests of our agriculture. Infestations can completely destroy the production of a cotton farm. It is estimated an average loss of 5.7 arrobas (@) per hectare caused by the pest, being able to vary from 3 to 15 arrobas (@). If we add to the average losses the expenses with its control, the average value of US $ 375.00 per hectare per year is reached. Only in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil's largest cotton producer, with about 586 thousand hectares (2015/2016 harvest), losses and expenses with the bulrush reached US $ 220 million per year. Conventional pheromone traps for manual monitoring of the cotton boll weevil are essential tools for identifying the entry of pests into the crops and for planning corrective actions. However, the conventional scouting process has flaws: the weekly interval of inspection of the traps is not brief enough for the precise handling; manual inspection requires the mobilization of field personnel; and the lack of digitization and integration of the data makes combating cotton boll weevils a subjective and fail-safe task. This research project was elaborated with the goal of advancing the development of the technology that was conceived in its initial stage by the proposing company that used a set of sensors in a trap to detect and count the captured insects in an automated way. In addition to the automatic counting, the equipment transmits the daily data of capture to a server, through technology of communication to the Internet of Things. The attraction of insects is made with synthetic sex pheromones. The technology will allow daily reading of pest dynamics, integration of data into a WEB server, display of heat maps of population density and dedicated reports for more efficient and accurate handling of the pest. The objectives of the project include: the development of the technology for the detection and counting of insects; the mechanical and electronic study and development of the equipment for the operation in the field conditions; and the development of the WEB platform and digital resources for pest management. As expected results, it is intended to obtain the product in its initial version, capable of operating in cotton productive units, transmitting the data to the WEB platform and allowing easy access and interpretation of the information. The project activities were divided by areas of knowledge. The teams responsible for each stage were selected to obtain the best performance. The company's resources will be used in addition to the partner and partner institutions, as well as the request for Technical Training grants. Functional tests and field operational tests will be conducted to assess the progress of activities and to prepare project reports. Finally, the solution brings important innovations for Brazilian agriculture, digital agriculture and the economic yield of national cotton production. (AU)
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