Molecular Entomology 2024, Vol.15, No.5, 209-220 http://emtoscipublisher.com/index.php/me 211 Real-time data collection significantly enhances the decision-making process by providing immediate feedback on pest outbreaks, weather conditions, and crop health. Farmers can use this information to take swift action, such as adjusting pesticide application rates or improving irrigation practices, thus preventing extensive crop damage. The ability to access this data remotely, often via mobile applications, adds a layer of convenience and efficiency, enabling farmers to make decisions without being physically present in the fields. By integrating data from multiple sensors, tea plantations can optimize their resource use, reduce labor costs, and ensure timely interventions, ultimately improving both productivity and sustainability (Huang, 2024). 2.3 Integration of IoT with field management practices Integrating IoT technologies with traditional field management practices offers significant advantages in managing tea plantations. IoT systems not only enhance pest monitoring but also streamline other critical aspects of plantation management, such as irrigation, fertilization, and overall crop health monitoring. By connecting various sensors and devices, such as soil moisture sensors, weather stations, and pest detection systems, IoT enables automated responses to field conditions. For instance, IoT systems can trigger drones to apply pesticides or adjust irrigation levels based on real-time data, reducing manual intervention and improving efficiency (Azfar et al., 2023). The integration of IoT into field management practices allows tea farmers to practice precision agriculture, where inputs such as water, fertilizers, and pesticides are applied only when and where they are needed. This reduces wastage, lowers costs, and minimizes environmental impact. Additionally, IoT systems can collect historical data, which helps in predictive analytics, allowing farmers to anticipate pest outbreaks or environmental stresses. By integrating IoT with field management, tea plantations can achieve higher yields, better quality crops, and more sustainable operations. This holistic approach to farm management is particularly beneficial for tea, where the quality and timing of interventions can significantly affect the final product. 3 Remote Sensing Technologies in Tea Plant Protection Remote sensing technologies, particularly satellite and drone-based imaging, have become invaluable tools in modern tea plant protection. By offering a non-invasive, real-time means of monitoring crop health and pest activity, these technologies enable more efficient and sustainable pest management. Through the use of advanced spectral analysis, remote sensing helps in early pest detection and targeted interventions, thus reducing the dependency on chemical pesticides. 3.1 Satellite and drone imaging for pest detection Satellite and drone imaging technologies have proven to be highly effective in detecting pest infestations in tea plantations. Drones, in particular, offer flexibility and high-resolution imaging, allowing farmers to monitor large areas of crops with great precision. UAVs equipped with multispectral and hyperspectral cameras provide detailed images that can reveal subtle changes in plant health, which may indicate the presence of pests. For instance, a UAV-based imaging system was successfully used to detect early-stage infestations by analyzing the reflectance patterns of tea leaves affected by pests like the tea leaf blight (Hu et al., 2024). Moreover, satellite imagery, while covering larger areas than drones, can be useful for monitoring tea plantations over time and detecting large-scale pest outbreaks. Satellites can capture images at different spectral bands, which makes it easier to identify areas of stress caused by pests, even from a great distance. A study comparing UAV and satellite imagery highlighted that while UAVs offer higher resolution, satellite images are better suited for covering larger areas, making them ideal for monitoring pest outbreaks across vast tea plantations (Müllerová et al., 2017). 3.2 Multi-spectral and hyper-spectral imaging applications Multispectral and hyperspectral imaging are essential tools in remote sensing for pest management. Multispectral imaging captures data at a few broad spectral bands, while hyperspectral imaging collects data across hundreds of narrow spectral bands, providing more detailed information. These technologies are particularly useful in identifying specific stress indicators in tea plants caused by pest infestations.
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