Advances, Limitations, and Future Applications of Aerospace and Geospatial Technologies for Apple IPM

Aerospace and geospatial technologies have become more accessible by researchers and agricultural practitioners, and these technologies can play a pivotal role in transforming current pest management practices in agriculture and forestry. During the past 20 years, technologies including satellites, manned and unmanned aircraft, spectral sensors, information systems, and autonomous field equipment, have been used to detect pests and apply control measures site-specifically. Despite the availability of aerospace and geospatial technologies, along with big-data-driven artificial intelligence, applications of such technologies to apple IPM have not been realized yet. Using a case study conducted at the Korea Apple Research Institute, this article discusses the advances and limitations of current aerospace and geospatial technologies that can be used for improving apple IPM.