Modular lamp system for insect breeding, use thereof for stimulation of insect reproduction and a method of insect breeding

Abstract

The present invention relates to a modular lamp system for insect breeding and reproduction stimulation, which comprises lamps emitting light in the range of about 400-800 nm and at least one lamp with a peak emission lower than about 410 nm, wherein the light intensity measured 50 cm from the light source is not less than 5000 lx with an irradiance in the spectral range of 350-1000 nm at the level of 35-50 W/m2, wherein no less than 95% of the irradiance is in the range of 350-700 nm, and wherein the irradiance in the spectral range of 370-410 nm is 25-80% of irradiance in the range of 350-700 nm and is not less than 10 W/m2. The present invention also provides a method of insect breeding and use of the modular lamp system for stimulation of insect reproduction.

Claims

1. A modular lamp system for breeding and stimulation of tropical insects reproduction which reproduction depends on intensity of sunlight which stimulates mobility of tropical insects and increase mating activity of the tropical insects selected from Hermetia illucens, Locusta migratoria, and Schistocerca gregaria, wherein said modular lamp system comprises: lamps emitting light in a range of 400-800 nm and at least one lamp with a peak emission in a range of 370-410 nm, wherein a light intensity of the modular lamp system measured at 50 cm from the lamps of the modular lamp system is no less than 5000 lx with irradiance in a spectral range of 350-1000 nm at a level of 35-50 W/m.sup.2, wherein no less than 95% of the irradiance is in a range of 350-700 nm, and wherein irradiance in a spectral range of 370-410 nm is 25-80% of the irradiance in the range of 350-700 nm and is no less than 10 W/m.sup.2, and wherein the light intensity in the range of 370-410 nm is higher than the intensity of sunlight in this range.

2. The modular lamp system according to claim 1, wherein all lamps included in the system are controlled independently.

3. The modular lamp system according to claim 1, wherein the lamps are LED lamps.

4. The modular lamp system according to claim 1, wherein at least one lamp has a peak emission of 385 nm.

5. The modular lamp system according to claim 4, further comprising a lamp having a peak emission of 405 nm.

6. The modular lamp system according to claim 5, comprising lamps of a total nominal power of about 120 W.

7. The modular lamp system according to claim 4, further comprising a lamp having a peak emission of 455 nm.

8. The modular lamp system according to claim 7, further comprising a lamp having a peak emission of 375 nm.

9. The modular lamp system according to claim 1, wherein the system is installed in a closed breeding chamber.

10. A method of insect breeding and reproduction stimulation in breeding chambers, comprising providing insects with a light source in a form of the modular lamp system according to claim 1.

11. The method of insect breeding and reproduction stimulation according to claim 10, wherein the insects are non-native to temperate climate zones.

12. The method of insect breeding and reproduction stimulation according to claim 10, wherein the insects are kept in a closed breeding chamber.

13. The modular lamp system according to claim 9, wherein the closed breeding chamber has a height lower than about 120 cm.

14. The modular lamp system according to claim 9, wherein the closed breeding chamber has a bottom surface area equal to or smaller than about 0.32 m.sup.2.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the closed breeding chamber has a height lower than about 120 cm.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the closed breeding chamber has a bottom surface area equal to or smaller than about 0.32 m.sup.2.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

(1) FIG. 1 shows the intensity in spectral range of 350-1000 nm. Combination 1: [cool white], compared with sunlight;

(2) FIG. 2 shows the intensity in spectral range of 350-1000 nm. Combination 2: [cool white, 375 nm, 385 nm, 405 nm, 455 nm], compared with sunlight;

(3) FIG. 3 shows the intensity in spectral range of 350-1000 nm. Combination 3: [cool white, 385 nm] compared to sunlight;

(4) FIG. 4 shows the intensity in spectral range of 350-1000 nm. Combination 4: [Cool white, 385 nm, 405 nm] as compared with sunlight.

(5) FIG. 5 shows the intensity in spectral range of 350-1000 nm. Combination 5: [cool white, 385 nm, 405 nm, 455 nm], compared with sunlight.

EXAMPLES

Example 1. Stimulation of Hermetia illucens Reproduction

(6) A modular system with lamps emitting light in the near ultraviolet range having emission peaks of 375 nm, 385 nm 405 nm, 455 nm was used, allowing for control of lighting intensity, and for inclusion of individual spectral ranges. The system consisted of 8 LED lamps with a nominal power of 20 W, including 4 lamps emitting “cool white” light in the range of 400-800 nm and 4 lamps with a narrow spectral range having emission peaks at 375 nm, 385 nm 405 nm, 455 nm. The system enabled independent control of each lamp in the nominal range. The system was used in a plexiglass cabinet measuring 40×80×100 cm (W×L×H) with the bottom surface area of 0.32 m.sup.2, equipped with a monitoring system monitoring temperature and air humidity providing an effective gravitational ventilation.

(7) Three experiments on a group of insects of 100-130 subjects were performed. Subjects aged 2 days after transformation to the form of imago, ready for reproduction, were selected. Experiments were performed at temperature of 26° C. and a relative air humidity of 40%. Insects originated from the inventors breeding line.

(8) In the experiments the mobility of insects (leaps to mating flight) was determined, 5 min after turning on the light of the given range and/or after exposure of insects to sunlight (sunny day, the sun at its zenith), expressed as a percentage of insects in flight in relation to the total number of insects and the number of insects connected during copulation 30 minutes after turning on the light of the given range or after exposure to sunlight, expressed as a percentage of insects during copulation in relation to the total number of insects. For each group between the individual measurements intervals of 60 minutes were retained. Each experiment used a different combination sequence of light sources.

(9) Combinations of light sources utilized, including light intensity and irradiance are described in Table 1. Graphs of the spectrum for each combination compared to solar spectrum are shown in FIG. 1-5. Measurements were made with a calibrated device specbos 1211 UV from JETI Technische Instrumente GmbH. The results of experiments (n=3) are described in Table 2.

(10) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Light intensity and irradiance in the utilized light sources combinations Irradiance (W/m.sup.2) Light intensity (lx) 350-1000 nm 1. 4 × cool white 5165 19 2. 4 × cool white 5590 43 1 × 375 nm 1 × 385 nm 1 × 405 nm 1 × 455 nm 3. 4 × cool white 5202 27 1 × 385 nm 4. 4 × cool white 5355 42 1 × 385 nm 1 × 405 nm 5. 4 × cool white 5522 42 1 × 385 nm 1 × 405 nm 1 × 455 nm 6. sunlight 67077 324

(11) TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Insect mobility and the percentage of copulating insects (n = 3) in the chamber, with the use of particular light combinations. Average values for triplicates. Percent of insects in flight Percent of copulating [%] t = 5 insects [%] t = 30 1. 4 × cool white 5.3 0 2. 4 × cool white 77.6 52.3 1 × 375 nm 1 × 385 nm 1 × 405 nm 1 × 455 nm 3. 4 × cool white 58.2 40.2 1 × 385 nm 4. 4 × cool white 74.5 50.6 1 × 385 nm 1 × 405 nm 5. 4 × cool white 75.4 54.4 1 × 385 nm 1 × 405 nm 1 × 455 nm 6. sunlight 68.5 38.2

Example 2. Stimulation of Locusts Reproduction

(12) The experiment was performed with the use of the system described in Example 1. The experiment was performed in temperature of 35° C. on groups of 50 adults (25.25.0), aged 7-12 days after the last moulting, of the species Schistocerca gregaria and Locusta migratoria. In the experiments the mobility and pairing of insects was assessed, 5 and 30 minutes after turning on the lights, respectively (Table 3).

(13) TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 The percentage of paired insects (n = 1) in the chamber with the use of a particular light combination. Percentage of paired insects Schostocerca gregaria Percentage of paired insects [%] Locusta migratoria [%] 1. 4 × cool white 20 16 2. 4 × cool white 64 72 1 × 375 nm 1 × 385 nm 1 × 405 nm 1 × 455 nm 3. 4 × cool white 60 72 1 × 385 nm 4. 4 × cool white 64 68 1 × 385 nm 1 × 405 nm 5. 4 × cool white 68 76 1 × 385 nm 1 × 405 nm 1 × 455 nm 6. sunlight 68 76

CONCLUSIONS

(14) Based on the research conducted with the use of the prototype lighting panel based on LED lamps, the Inventors confirmed the important role of light in the spectral range of 370-410 nm in reproductive behavior stimulation of hermetia and locusts.

(15) White light in the range of 400-800 nm (Table 2 Item 1) does not stimulate hermetia to flight and mating activity. The inclusion of spectral lamps with a peak emission of 385 nm (Table 2 item 3) causes a rapid increase in activity, flies take flight and after 30 minutes they copulate intensively. Number of copulating insects is comparable to the number of copulating insects for the control (Table 2 item 6), i.e. sunlight measured on a sunny, cloudless day in the time of ascendancy of the sun at its zenith, which is an increase in the efficiency of reproduction in relation to the iodine-quartz lamp described in literature by approximately 50%.

(16) This effect is intensified with the use of an additional light source with a peak emission of 405 nm (Table 2 item 4), which clearly indicates the important role of light in the range of 370-410 nm for the stimulation of hermetia reproductive behavior. It is significant that with the use of white light and two independent sources of light in the 370-410 nm band, having emission peaks of 385 nm and 405 nm with intensity exceeding the intensity of sunlight for these ranges (FIG. 2, 3, 4), the activity increase by approximately 25% compared to the results obtained for sunlight is observed. Simultaneously it has been shown that increasing intensity in additional spectral ranges of 375 nm and 455 nm (Table 2, item 2 and 5), did not significantly affect the activity of hermetia, suggesting that the use of additional lamps emitting light with peaks in this range may not be necessary.

(17) Comparing the intensity of light and irradiance in the range above 410 nm (Table 1 item 1 and 5; FIG. 1) indicates that the total intensity of light and irradiance in the range of the visible spectrum, are of secondary importance for stimulating hermetia reproduction, and light emission limited to this range is not sufficient to stimulate reproduction (Table 2 item 1).

(18) The 4.sup.th variant comprising 6 lamps with a total nominal power of 120 W was considered the best solution (Table 1 item. 4; FIG. 4). The solution according to the invention enables the reduction of energy consumption by about 70% compared to the energy consumption with the use of iodine-quartz lamps with the simultaneous improvement in reproduction efficiency.

(19) The use of modular lamp system according to the invention enables to control the spectrum emission and the replacement of individual lamp modules without replacing the entire lighting system. Independent control of individual lamps can simulate light conditions of the natural environment, both in terms of light intensity and spectrum specific for latitudes of hermetia's natural occurrence, as well as increasing irradiance spectrum below 455 nm above the levels found in the natural environment.

(20) The use of the modular system according to the invention in closed breeding chambers for monitoring the state of insect population enables accurate and precise control of critical environmental parameters, while significantly reducing the space required for the reproduction, with respect to the solutions used in the industry, the present invention enabling efficient and effective stimulation of hermetia reproduction in a chamber with a height of 100 cm and having a bottom surface area not bigger than 0.32 m.sup.2, thus several times smaller than the solutions described in literature (Tomberlin et al.; Zgang et al.).

(21) Light in the range of 385-455 nm seems to play a key role in the stimulation of reproductive behavior of locust species Locusta migratoria and Schistocerca gregaria. Despite lower total irradiance in the range of 350-700 nm, the number of activate locust showing reproductive behavior was similar to the one with the use of natural light.