This 17-Year-Old Wins International Award and Accolades for His Game Changing Invention

Sarvesh Prabhu, a 17-year-old research intern at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), knew that the leaves of the custard apple tree (Ramphal) were traditionally used to treat dysentery. He delved deeper and explored the bio-insecticidal properties of the same. The extracts were used in the research, and it was discovered that they were successful against three destructive pests, with a mortality rate ranging from 78 to 88 percent. It was decided to investigate the pest mortality rate in greenhouse and field settings because it rendered a positive outcome in laboratory settings.  Farmers all across the world utilize cheap fertilizers to get rid of pests like Pod borer and Green peach aphids which alone result in an annual loss of over 40% of crop yields. It has been discovered that Ramphal plants' chemical constitution functions as a natural defense mechanism against these pests thus providing farmers with an eco-friendly, cost-effective and long-term solution for pests that can replace harmful chemical pesticides. Sarvesh took this project to Atlanta where he represented India in the International Science and Engineering Fair, considered to be among the world’s largest pre-college science fairs. The project, which won third place and a monetary prize of US $1,000, was hailed as a game-changer. Additionally, Sarvesh received accolades and a reward of Rs. 1 lakh as part of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Innovation Award for School Children for his accomplishment.