Detection of Palm Tree Pests Using Thermal Imaging: A Review

Abstract

Due to the extensive stretches of date plantation and topography of traditional grooves in countries such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt, the red palm weevil (RPW) early detection is a significant challenge. The RPW is a palm borer insect that develops within the soft tissues of the trunk and crown, eventually leading to tree death. Early detection of RPW infestation is crucial because, at an early stage of infestation, palms can be treated more efficiently and saved, while the determination of treatment efficacy is hugely vital to optimize palm rescue efforts. Detection is often particularly problematic since not all palms can be accessed and inspected directly. Thermography technique can determine the thermal properties of any objects of interest, and it is a non-destructive. In thermography, the invisible radiation patterns are transformed to visible images called thermal images. Those thermal images are acquired using specific sensors that can be coupled with many available optical systems. Due to the simple operating procedure and the noticeable reductions in equipment cost of thermal imaging systems, it gains popularity in pests’ detection. This chapter discusses the state-of-the-art research concerning the detection methods for detecting infected Palm trees. The study will concentrate on the thermal imaging and its application on red palm weevil detection.