Monitoring Whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) Infestation in Cotton Using Remote Sensing and Insect Traps

Authors

  • Margarita Hernandez A. Head of the DZ26-I Project of the National Institute for Nuclear Research. Mexico

Keywords:

whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, cotton, remote sensing, NDVI, pest forecasting, IPM

Abstract

Effective pest monitoring is essential for timely intervention. This study combined satellite imagery (NDVI) with yellow sticky trap data to assess whitefly population dynamics in cotton fields. Weekly NDVI data from Sentinel-2 were correlated with field counts and infestation thresholds.
Whitefly outbreaks were associated with NDVI declines of >0.1 in stressed crop zones. Predictive maps allowed early detection 10–12 days before visible symptoms. Remote sensing tools can significantly improve pest management strategies and reduce pesticide overuse.

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Published

2023-12-31

Issue

Vol. 27 No. 2 (2023)

Section

Research Articles