Sensor-based Technologies for Real-time Monitoring and Precision Targeting of Insect Pests

Insect pests pose significant threats to agricultural production, causing substantial yield losses and economic damage worldwide. Conventional insect monitoring methods, such as manual scouting and trap-based sampling are labour-intensive, time-consuming and often fail to provide timely and actionable information for effective pest management. Recent advancements in sensor technologies have paved the way for real-time, in-situ monitoring of insect pests, enabling precision targeting and site-specific control interventions. This review article explores the various types of sensors, including acoustic, optical and chemical sensors and their applications in detecting, identifying and quantifying insect pests. The review also discussed the design and implementation of wireless sensor networks for scalable and robust insect monitoring, along with data analytics approaches for automated pest detection and spatio-temporal modelling of pest population dynamics. Furthermore, the study highlights the integration of sensor data into precision pest management systems, such as sensor-guided pesticide application technologies and intelligent pest control strategies. Real-world case studies demonstrating the efficacy of sensor-based pest management in diverse agricultural settings are presented.