New wide-area radio frequency heating method for killing agricultural pests

杀虫剂造成的危害的代价是巨大的。这些往往是隐藏的、长期的和被低估的。世界农药工业的价值为520亿美元，最近评估的危害成本也差不多。因此，杀虫剂的使用现在可能已经超过了它的好处。尤其是油菜(OSR)种植者正逐渐遭受由于鼻涕虫和甘蓝茎跳甲(CSFB)攻击新生长的作物而造成的农作物损失，因为有效的杀虫剂治疗变得越来越有限：CSFB对拟除虫菊酯有抵抗力，新烟碱处理的种子在实施限制后不能种植；用于防治蚯蚓的主要有机化合物三乙醛正在渗入水道，水质标准受到影响。作物损失的问题阻碍了农民种植OSR，OSR种植面积减少了20%。该项目的目标是证明使用一种新的广域射频加热方法在不使用杀虫剂的情况下杀死无脊椎动物，同时使植物不受损害的概念。如果成功，这一概念将为CSFB和段塞控制提供持久的解决方案，并扭转OSR种植减少的趋势。

The costs of the harm resulting from pesticides are significant. These are often hidden, long term and underestimated. The world pesticides industry is valued at US$52 billion, and the costs of harm have recently been assessed to be similar. Pesticide use might now therefore have outreached its benefits. Oilseed rape (OSR) growers in particular are progressively suffering loss of crops due to slugs and cabbage stem flea beetle (CSFB) attacking new growth "with terminator-like determination" as effective pesticidal treatments are becoming increasingly limited: CSFB have resistance to pyrethroids, and neonicotinoid-treated seed cannot be planted following the imposed restrictions; metaldehyde, the main organic compound used against slugs, is leaching into waterways, with water quality standards being compromised. This problem of crop loss is discouraging farmers from growing OSR, with a decrease of 20% in area of OSR planted. This project's goal is to prove the concept of using a new wide-area radio frequency heating method to kill invertebrates without recourse to pesticides, yet leaving the plants undamaged. If successful, the concept will provide a lasting solution to CSFB and slug control, and reverse the trend in decreasing OSR planting.