Plantation Forestry Research Articles

Салехардский лесотарный завод: достижения и проблемы развития во время Великой Отечественной войны

Салехардский лесотарный завод: достижения и проблемы развития во время Великой Отечественной войны

Growth performance of different forestry species irrigated with moderately saline wastewater

A seven month, pot study was conducted to evaluate the impact of moderately saline wastewater on the growth potential of six forestry plant species viz., Eucalyptus calmaldulensis, Dendrocalamus strictus, Casurina equisetfolia, Cassia fistula, Melia dubia, and Bambusa arundinacea under different drainage conditions namely, well-drained saline (WDS) condition and poor-drained saline condition (PDS) and the control with well-drained non-saline condition. WDS treatment resulted in no mortality whereas PDS treatment resulted in mortality in the range of 33–66%. The plant height and root dry biomass increased in the range of 145% to 221.6% and 4.3–37.1 g respectively in WDS treatment, however, 23.60% to 173.4% and 4.1–10.1 g in PDS treatment. Among all, Eucalyptus camaldulensis and Dendrocalamus strictus showed high Na+ accumulation in roots (2.16 ± 0.02% and 1.13 ± 0.01%), shoots (1.98 ± 0.01% and 0.74 ± 0.01%) and leaves (1.27 ± 0.02% and 0.86 ± 0.01%) in WDS treatment and in case of PDS treatment root (1.01 ± 0.01% and 0.23 ± 0.01%), shoot (1.12 ± 0.02% and 0.11 ± 0.01%), and leaf (0.07 ± 0.01% and 0.1 ± 0.02). The overall performance of both Eucalyptus camaldulensis and Dendrocalamus strictus was highest in WDS treatment. Therefore, it was concluded, that both plants had better performance than other plant species, a proper drainage system defines the overall productivity and treatment efficiency.

An economic assessment of options for operating within plantation forestry water entitlements and tightening cap and trade policy

AbstractThe Green Triangle (GT) region of southern Australia is one of only two jurisdictions globally to licence plantation forestry's groundwater use. In response to declines in groundwater resources caused by historical plantation expansion, reductions in forest water allocations (~50%) are likely for some parts of the region, presenting novel challenges for forest managers in maintaining revenues and timber flows. This article presents a mathematical programming model evaluation of water trade opportunities for plantation forest owners to adapt to reduced water entitlements and explores how tightening groundwater policy could affect forestry returns and land use mix for the region. Results suggest that even absent opportunity to sell water, relatively limited 11% reduction in return could be expected for a large (−50%) water entitlement and (−48%) land‐use change out of forestry. Results suggest that opportunities for forestry companies to sell water entitlements may allow them to maintain or even increase combined returns from forestry and water sales. Whilst the results highlight the adaptive capacity of the plantation forestry sector to operate within reduced water entitlement, a significant sectoral and regional economy adjustment would be likely. The discussion focusses on the potential to realise optimisation model‐identified adaptation opportunities accounting for real‐world thin markets, transaction costs and market friction.

Multispectral UAV data for detection of weeds in a citrus farm using machine learning and Google Earth Engine: Case study of Morocco

Accurate and timely weed mapping between and within trees is considered one of the major challenges in the site-specific weed management systems. This research presents the first cloud computing approach based on the incorporation of multispectral Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) imagery in the Google Earth Engine (GEE) programming environment with the aim of improving the mapping of weed patches between and within trees in a citrus farm. For this purpose, the UAV multispectral bands (red, green, blue, near infrared, and red edge), as well as the estimated vegetation height from the UAV Digital Elevation Model (DEM) were analysed in terms of tree and weed discrimination and used as input into Random Forest (RF) and k-nearest neighbors (KNN) machine learning algorithms. From the DEM, the Digital Terrain Model (DTM) was estimated using the Inverse Distance Weighted Interpolation (IDW) of the elevation values of dense points on the soil. The plant height was derived by subtracting the DTM from the DEM, resulting in the Canopy Height Model (CHM). The experimental results show that: (i) the combination of spectral bands and the CHM can classify both trees and weeds with an overall accuracy reached 96.87%; (ii) the RF classifier was more robust compared to KNN in the classification performance; (iii) when compared to the use of UAV spectral bands, the addition of the CHM can improve the accuracy of crop classification by 13.36% (KNN) and 1.79% (RF). Furthermore, the integration of UAV imagery in the GEE was highly efficient in terms of automation of the UAV imagery processing.

Landscape genetics identifies barriers to Natterjack toad metapopulation dispersal

Habitat fragmentation and loss reduce population size and connectivity, which imperils populations. Functional connectivity is key for species persistence in human-modified landscapes. To inform species conservation management, we investigated spatial genetic structure, gene flow and inferred dispersal between twelve breeding sites of the Natterjack toad (Bufo calamita); regionally Red-Listed as Endangered in Ireland. Spatial genetic structure was determined using both Bayesian and non-Bayesian clustering analysis of 13 polymorphic microsatellite loci genotyping 247 individuals. We tested the influence of geographic distance, climate, habitat, geographical features, and anthropogenic pressure on pairwise genetic distances between breeding sites using Isolation-by-distance and Isolation-by-resistance based on least-cost path and circuit theory models of functional connectivity. There was clear spatial structuring with genetic distances increasing with geographic distance. Gene flow was best explained by Isolation-by-resistance models with coniferous forestry plantations, bog, marsh, moor and heath, scrub, anthropogenic presence (Human Influence Index) and rivers (riparian density) identified as habitats with high resistance to gene flow while metapopulation connectivity was enhanced by coastal habitats (beaches, sand dunes and salt marshes) and coastal grassland. Despite substantial declines in census numbers over the past 15 years and its regional status as Endangered, the Natterjack toad population in Ireland retains high genetic diversity. If declines continue, maintaining habitat connectivity to prevent genetic erosion by management of coastal grasslands, pond construction and assisted migration through translocation will be increasingly important.

The Role Of Inter-Sectors In Agroforestry Development In The Community Forest Environment, Pacitan District

Communities around the forest need to be encouraged in the development of forestry plants by the community either independently or with the assistance—of the government so that environmental sustainability can be adequately controlled. The development system carried out by the community, in general, is a hybrid system or better known as the agroforestry system. This study aims to identify sectors related to efforts to develop forestry plants.airly well-established economic condition. Development of forestry plants with this system . However, few people also develop a monoculture system, especially those with large enough land and who do not depend on the ground. Building role synergy between sectors supporting the development of forestry plantations is urgently needed to increase the quantity and quality of raw materials to meet the needs of the timber industry, both locally and nationally. Three critical sectors that must synergize in supporting the development of forestry plantations by the community are research and educational institutions, the government, and the market (industry). These three sectors are expected to be able to build attractive incentives for the community so that the community continues to preserve timber plants. Research and educational institutions can provide information and technology related to efforts to increase forestry plant production. Both information and technology from social, economic, and silvicultural or cultivation aspects. Information and technology produced by these research and educational institutions can be used as input and consideration for the government in formulating programs and policies related to developing timber plantations on private land. Through the formulation of its policies and work programs, the government is expected to initiate, facilitate and assist the community in developing forestry plants. Furthermore, the market sector, especially the timber industry, must be encouraged to create a conducive post-harvest climate so that the community continues to be motivated to increase the production of raw wood materials.

Activity patterns of the marsh deer: Effects of proxies of human movement, cattle presence, and moon phases on its behavior

AbstractActivity is an important aspect of animal behavior. Intrinsic and extrinsic factors can shape species activity patterns, which can alter and reshape several ecological aspects of the species. Human disturbance is known to modify the activity patterns of various species. The Marsh deer (Blastocerus dichotomus) is the largest Neotropical cervid, and has its southernmost distribution located in the wetlands of the lower Delta of the Paraná river, an area characterized by forestry plantations. We studied how the activity patterns of the marsh deer are affected by proxies of human movement, cattle presence, and moon phases in Argentina. We found that marsh deer presented activity peaks during crepuscular hours and moderate levels of activity during the entire night period. The majority of the independent camera‐trapping events of marsh deer occurred during the first quarter and last quarter phases, and the species was more active on sites far from rivers, which could infer an avoidance of human disturbances. In order to comprehend more deeply the variable effects on the activity patterns of marsh deer in this area, further analyses are needed, particularly using movement data of marked individuals.

Effect of anthropic disturbances on the activity pattern of two generalist mesocarnivores inhabiting Mediterranean forestry plantations

Humans have been altering the Mediterranean landscapes for millennia. To diminish the probability of encounters with domestic animals, humans and their activities, many species adjust their behavior to become more nocturnal. Even habitat-generalist species, such as red fox and stone marten that are somehow tolerant to environmental changes, might be affected by anthropic disturbances. Nevertheless, only a small number of studies were implemented in Iberia targeting these mesocarnivores’ activity patterns, and fewer have assessed the temporal ecology of these species in Eucalyptus plantations, the current main forest cover in Portugal. Based on camera traps, we aimed to analyze: 1) the temporal and spatio-temporal activity patterns of red fox and stone marten; and 2) how they are affected by distinct human disturbances (i.e., humans, livestock, dogs, plantations, and hunting). Foxes presented a higher crepuscular activity, while martens were entirely nocturnal, suggesting some avoidance behavior. Both mesocarnivores showed a higher overlap with dogs’ activity than with humans or livestock. Foxes’ activity patterns vary between seasons and habitats but were not influenced by the hunting period. Results suggest that both mesocarnivores, besides setting apart their activity from humans related disturbances, also show a tendency to temporally avoid each other. While the increase of nocturnality may indicate an anthropic disturbance impact, a reduction of activity overlap between mesocarnivores may be a strategy to reduce competition. These results may help support the sustainable management of landscapes by highlighting critical periods where activity overlaps may occur, and thus the anthropic impacts on wildlife are higher.

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS FOR AGRICULTURAL SUITABLE LAND AT KABUPATEN SLEMAN

Indonesia is an agricultural country, the growth rate of various food and crops tends to be stable. However, some plants in certain areas are different from what is expected. This study aims to investigate land suitability for crops such as rice, analysis of development potential, and develop recommendations for land use for agricultural types, Sleman Regency, Special Region of Yogyakarta. Landsat 8 imagery is used for land use extraction as input for making land use directions for agricultural and forestry plant species. The method used in this study is a combination of analysis of Landsat 8 imagery and field data processed using a Geographic Information System in making thematic maps of the physical characteristics of the land to obtain land suitability maps for agricultural crop species and with a weighting method in stages based on the physical parameters of the conditions for growing crops. The analysis results are used to formulate land use directions for the types of crops in Sleman Regency. An area very ideal for the type of rice plant and land planted. For crops, it is directed based on the room's function, namely in the cultivation area. Sites that have the potential to be developed for crops are produced and set in buffer zones because more emphasis is placed on conservation aspects and increasing crop productivity. This geographic information system is one of the recommendations to be used as a reference by farmers in increasing the productivity of agricultural land.

Local perceptions of the socio-demographic changes triggered by large-scale plantation forests: Evidence from rural communities in Northern Province of Sierra Leone

Global concerns about forest sustainability have shifted the attention to plantation forests as a potential candidate to fill the wood and ecosystem service demand. In this regard, their contribution to lessening the pressure on natural forests has been recognized, and this is becoming increasingly important in the context of a changing climate. This study was designed to conceptualize the influence of large-scale plantation forests on changes in the socio-demographic characteristics in local communities. A mixed-method approach combining qualitative data from two key informant interviews with a household survey of 125 respondents was deployed to explore the local perceptions of the influence of plantation forestry on socio-demographic changes. Our results revealed mixed perceptions of the socio-demographic changes, reflecting both increasing and decreasing trends. All of the socio-demographic factors were positively influenced in a societal desired manner by plantation forestry, except household income and construction materials. The socio-demographic factors were identified as the principal determinants shaping the plantation forestry's contribution to the socio-economic development of respondents’ households. The direction of socio-demographic changes was reported to be positive across all the communities, with the magnitude of influence on the respondent's households varying between low and high. Our results suggest the need for understanding the dynamics associated with land use conversion to forest plantations in rural areas to inspire the search for options to implement an integrated landscape approach for tree plantation development with minimal social impacts on local populations.

Monitoring invasive pines using remote sensing: a case study from Sri Lanka

Production plantation forestry has many economic benefits but can also have negative environmental impacts such as the spreading of invasive pines to native forest habitats. Monitoring forest for the presence of invasive pines helps with the management of this issue. However, detection of vegetation change over a large time period is difficult due to changes in image quality and sensor types, and by the spectral similarity of evergreen species and frequent cloud cover in the study area. The costs of high-resolution images are also prohibitive for routine monitoring in resource-constrained countries. This research investigated the use of remote sensing to identify the spread of Pinus caribaea over a 21-year period (2000 to 2021) in Belihuloya, Sri Lanka, using Landsat images. It applied a range of techniques to produce cloud free images, extract vegetation features, and improve vegetation classification accuracy, followed by the use of Geographical Information System to spatially analyze the spread of invasive pines. The results showed most invading pines were found within 100 m of the pine plantations’ borders where broadleaved forests and grasslands are vulnerable to invasion. However, the extent of invasive pine had an overall decline of 4 ha over the 21 years. The study confirmed that remote sensing combined with spatial analysis are effective tools for monitoring invasive pines in countries with limited resources. This study also provides information to conservationists and forest managers to conduct strategic planning for sustainable forest management and conservation in Sri Lanka.

An Effective Precision Afforestation System for UAV

Much agricultural and forestry land in the world cannot be accessed by ground planting equipment because of traffic, terrain, and other factors. This not only causes low efficiency and waste of resources, but also has a negative impact on the sustainable development of forestry. Therefore, it is significant to develop an accurate, efficient, and energy-saving aerial precision seeding system using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology to meet the actual needs of forestry planting. In this study, a UAV precision afforestation system with a GUI, afforestation UAV, positioning system, and information interaction system were developed using related approaches such as electronic information technology. The UAV airborne seeding device added a control circuit and electronic chip to control the launching speed of the cylinder and seed loading speed, while the UAV flight speed is jointly controlled to accurately control the UAV seeding depth and seed spacing. The experimental results showed that the maximum seeding depth of the afforestation equipment was 6.7 cm. At the same seed launching speed, the smaller the content of sand and gravel in the soil, the higher the sowing qualification index, and the greater the sowing depth. The average absolute error of dynamic route RTK-automatic control seeding position accuracy was 7.6 cm, and the average error of static position hovering seeding was 7.7 cm. Resulting from the separate sown experiments of three crops, the sowing pitch angle of 75° gave the highest germination rate. The UAV seeding device has a low missing seed index and a qualified seeding index of more than 95% at 120 r/min seeding speed. The seeding device studied in this paper has a good seeding effect, can meet the requirements of afforestation, and provides a new technical means for managing forest and plant resources.

Are long-term climate projections useful for on-farm adaptation decisions?

The current literature on climate services for farmers predominantly focuses on seasonal forecasts, with an assumption that longer-term climate projections may not be suitable for informing farming decisions. In this paper, we explore whether certain types of long-term climate projections may be useful for some specific types of farming decisions. Through interviews with almond tree crop farmers and farm advisors in California, we examine how farmers perceive the utility and accuracy levels of long-term climate projections and identify the types of projections that they may find useful. The interviews revealed that farmers often perceive long-term climate projections as an extension of weather forecasts, which can lead to their initial skepticism of the utility of such information. However, we also found that when farmers were presented with long-term trends or shifts in crop-specific agroclimatic metrics (such as chill hours or summer heat), they immediately perceived these as valuable for their decision-making. Hence, the manner in which long-term projections are framed, presented, and discussed with farmers can heavily influence their perception of the potential utility of such projections. The iterative conversations as part of the exploratory interview questions, served as a tool for “joint construction of meaning” of complex and ambiguous terms such as “long-term climate projections,” “long-term decisions” and “uncertainty.” This in-turn supported a joint identification (and understanding) of the types of information that can potentially be useful for on-farm adaptive decisions, where the farmer and the interviewer both improvise and iterate to find the best types of projections that fit specific decision-contexts. Overall, this research identifies both the types of long-term climate information that farmers may consider useful, and the engagement processes that are able to effectively elicit farmers' long-term information needs.

The role of landscape and parent material on regolith under timber plantations at Highflats, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Regolith is an important component of the Earth's critical zone. Little investigative work has been done in southern Africa on regolith characteristics as a component of the critical zone, and in particular the importance to forestry plantation productivity in the eastern hinterland of South Africa. Regolith cores were extracted from five positions across two slopes underlain by sandstone and tillite to characterize these regolith profiles and ascertain the effect of slope position and parent material on regolith development. Regolith profiles were characterized and analysed on hill crest and lower midslope positions at both sites. The profile descriptions noted the degree of weathering, rooting activity, and mineral composition. The deepest in situ weathering of regolith was found on the hill crest positions; sandstone crest (24.0 m) and tillite crest (8.2 m) respectively. The accumulation of colluviated sediment on lower slopes also resulted in a thicker regolith at the tillite site, despite the less intensely weathered bedrock. These findings were consistent with earlier geophysical and pedohydrological studies of the area and the regolith profiles are consistent with those described for a range of other sedimentary lithologies in similar regions in sub-tropical and tropical landscapes The results show that tree roots utilize the saprolite and saprock below soil horizons and the nature of these layers indicate the full regolith profile should be considered in the water and nutrient supply available to forest plantations. Current concepts of ‘effective rooting depth’, as widely used by South African forestry, are inadequate for understanding ecosystem processes in forest plantations.

The Potential of Yellow Gum (Eucalyptus leucoxylon F. Muell.) as an Urban Street Tree: An Assessment of Species Performance in the City of Greater Melbourne, Australia

"Background: In contrast to trees from northern hemisphere genera, there has been little research into the selection and vegetative propagation of Australian native tree species for use as street trees. Eucalyptus leucoxylon F. Muell. is one of a few eucalypts occurring in south-eastern Australia with bright coloured fl owers and is highly regarded as an ornamental tree that fl owers readily. It is propagated from seed, but progeny typically show seedling variability and diversity. Eucalyptus leucoxylon was identifi ed as the most widely planted eucalypt in the streets of the city of greater Melbourne, Australia. Methods: This research assessed 300 E. leucoxylon street trees growing across the city of greater Melbourne for their performance against arboricultural criteria relating to canopy structure and density, straightness of the trunk, health (assessed on canopy, trunk, and branch condition, production of exudates, and presence of fungal fruiting bodies), fl ower colour, and root systems. Results: The results showed that E. leucoxylon was a suitable street tree species with most specimens showing good habit, vigour, and health. Discussion: The trees had traits such as live crown ratio, height, fl ower colour, and capacity to cope with pruning that are considered appropriate for a street tree. Their dense canopies and high live crown ratios provide shade that can reduce the urban heat island (UHI) effect. Conclusion: This suggests the species has the potential to be a successful street tree not only in Australia, but in other parts of the world where it has been grown successfully in forestry plantations.

Impact of Forestry Interventions on Groundwater Recharge and Sediment Control in the Ganga River Basin

Water related services of natural infrastructure will help to combat the risk of water crisis, and nature-based solutions involve the management of ecosystems to mimic or optimize the natural processes for the provision and regulation of water. Forested areas provide environmental stability and supply a high proportion of the world’s accessible freshwater for domestic, agricultural, industrial and ecological needs. The present work on “Forestry Interventions for Ganga” to rejuvenate the river is one of the steps toward the Ganga River rejuvenation programme in the country. The consequences of forestry interventions for Ganga will be determined on the basis of water quantity and water quality in the Ganga River. The study conservatively estimated the water savings and sedimentation reduction of the riverscape management in the Ganga basin using the Soil Conservation Service Curve Number (SCS-CN) & GEC, 2015 and Trimble, 1999 & CWC, 2019 methodologies, respectively. Forestry plantations and soil and moisture conservation measures devised in the programme to rejuvenate the Ganga River are expected to increase water recharge and decrease sedimentation load by 231.011 MCM·yr-1 and 1119.6 cubic m·yr-1 or 395.20 tons·yr-1, respectively, in delineated riverscape area of 83,946 km2 in Ganga basin due to these interventions. The role of trees and forests in improving hydrologic cycles, soil infiltration and ground water recharge in Ganga basin seems to be the reason for this change. Forest plantations and other bioengineering techniques can help to keep rivers perennial, increase precipitation, prevent soil erosion and mitigate floods, drought & climate change. The bioengineering techniques could be a feasible tool to enhance rivers’ self-purification as well as to make river perennial. The results will give momentum to the National Mission of Clean Ganga (NMCG) and its Namami Gange programme including other important rivers in the country and provide inputs in understanding the linkages among forest structure, function, and streamflow.

Plants Suitability for Landslides Mitigation in the Giritengah Catchment Area, Indonesia

Changes in land use caused by human dependence on land to meet food, clothing, and settlement needs are in line with population growth. This triggers the destruction of watersheds and results in an increased of disasters such as landslides that lead to decrease land productivity and less water throughout the year. This study aims to determine the plant suitability for both annual plant species (forestry plants), and seasonal crops (agricultural crops) in the Giritengah catchment area. In addition, this study also aims to provide the proposed species that are suitable and at the same time allow for land improvement efforts. The results showed that the suitability classes for forestry plant species (teak, sengon, and mahogany) and annual plant species (chili, banana, and cassava) in Giritengah catchment were unsuitable/incompatible (N) with erosion hazard level as the heaviest limiting factor. There are two variable levels of erosion hazard, which are one of the reasons for the unsuitability of these plant species, namely the slope, which tends to be steep and the shallow soil solumn. To overcome this, it is necessary to apply soil and water conservation techniques both technically and vegetative.

Knowledge Level Mapping Seed Production Techniques of Forestry Plantations Based on Pretest and Posttest Values

The study aimed to find out the level of knowledge of seed production of forestry plantation crops at the beginning of lectures (pretest) and at the end of classes (posttest) for TIB Bogor and Sukabumi campus students to compare the pretest and posttest scores for these students as well as posttest scores between TIB campus students Bogor with TIB Sukabumi campus students. The research method used as a statistical test tool for the research data used to achieve the research objectives is the paired t-test, the Wilcoxon signed rank test, as the normality assumption test. The results showed an increase in the knowledge of TIB Bogor students during lectures based on the results of the pretest assessment compared to the posttest. Nearly 100% of the student’s understanding of seed production techniques for forestry plantation crops increased. In contrast to TIB Sukabumi students, the average posttest score of IPB Sukabumi vocational students was significantly higher than that of pretest me. This matter shows that lectures on seed production techniques for plantation and forestry plants still need to provide strong evidence of increasing knowledge about this for TIB Sukabumi students. So, it is necessary to do further research related to the factors that influence the lecture process. The average score of IPB Bogor students is higher than that of Sukabumi. It is suspected that there are differences in the factors that influence the attainment of this level of knowledge, such as differences in educational background, teaching quality, or student characteristics on both campuses.

THE SPECIES DIVERSITY OF FOUR-LEGGED MITES (ACARI: ERIOPHYOIDAE) IN THE URBOPHYTOCENOSIS OF KYIV

The superfamily Eriophyoidea is a large and diverse group of mites that includes a number of species of economic importance, mainly on perennial plants in agriculture and forestry. This article updates the latest data on the species diversity and distribution of eryophyoid mites in the phytocoenoses of Kyiv. Monitoring of four-legged mites was carried out in 2012-2022 from May to September on the territory of the Fomin Botanical Garden, the M.M. Hryshko National Botanical Garden of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, in parks, squares and street plantings of Kyiv. During the research, field and laboratory methods were used in accordance with generally accepted methods in acarology. As a result of the surveys, it was found that in the current state of phytocoenoses in Kyiv, the fauna of four-legged mites includes 28 species from 11 genera (Acalitus - 2 species, Aceria - 9, Aculops - 1, Aculus - 5, Anthocoptes - 1, Epitrimerus - 1, Eriophyes - 4, Phyllocoptes - 1, Phytoptus - 1, Trisetacus - 2, Vasates - 1 species). Invasive species account for 21.4 %. They include Aceria erineus, Aceria loewi, Aculus hippocastani, Anthocoptes platynotus, Eriophyes vitis, Vasates allotrichus. The most common are 4 species of mites: Eriophyes tiliae, Aceria petanovicae, Aceria fraxinivorus and Aceria cephalonea. Seven species of Eriophyceae are characterised by significant harmfulness: Aceria erineus, Aceria fraxinivorus, Aceria petanovicae, Aculus tetanothrix, Eriophyes leiosoma, Eriophyes pyri, Eriophyes tiliae. The article presents the fodder plants, gives a brief description of the peculiarities of the types of damage and the occurrence of four-legged mites in the phytocoenoses of Kyiv. The practical value of the work is that the information on the presence, abundance and distribution of the four-legged mites will help in monitoring and making future management decisions.

Sustainable Palm Tree Farming: Leveraging IoT and Multi-Modal Data for Early Detection and Mapping of Red Palm Weevil

The Red Palm Weevil (RPW) is a highly destructive insect causing economic losses and impacting palm tree farming worldwide. This paper proposes an innovative approach for sustainable palm tree farming by utilizing advanced technologies for early detection and management of RPW. Our approach combines computer vision, deep learning (DL), the Internet of Things (IoT), and geospatial data to effectively detect and classify RPW-infested palm trees. The main phases include; (1) DL Classification using sound data from IoT devices, (2) palm tree detection using YOLOv8 on UAV images, and (3) RPW mapping using geospatial data. Our custom DL model achieves 100% precision and recall in detecting and localizing infested palm trees. The integration of geospatial data enables the creation of a comprehensive RPW distribution map for Efficient monitoring and targeted management strategies. This technology-driven approach benefits agricultural authorities, farmers, and researchers in managing RPW infestations, safeguarding palm tree plantations’ productivity.