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An Improved Screen‐Cage Design for Use in Plant and Insect Research 1
Author(s) -
Lambert Lavone
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
agronomy journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1435-0645
pISSN - 0002-1962
DOI - 10.2134/agronj1984.00021962007600010042x
Subject(s) - cage , serviceability (structure) , cost analysis , population , biology , engineering , structural engineering , reliability engineering , demography , sociology
Large screened cages are often necessary for certain types of plant and insect research. Traditionally, the cage frames have been constructed of wood and covered with wire and plastic screen. These cages are very expensive to construct and maintain. To reduce the cost of doing research in screened cages and to improve their serviceability, a 614.4 m 2 metal frame, screen‐covered cage for inclusion and exclusion of insects was developed. This cage should be of interest to plant breeders and entomologists who work in areas such as host plant resistance to insects, biological control, insect population dynamics, and controlled pollination. The cage is 2.4 m high × 19.2 m wide × 32.0 m long and cost $5450 (1982 prices) including all labor. Cage construction costs spread over the usable life of the cage frame are estimated to be only 44% of those for a wood frame cage. In addition, maintenance costs of the metal frame cage are: only a fraction of those for a wood frame cage.