Monitoring Tuta Absoluta Infestation in Different Tomato Cropping Systems: First Results of a Combined Field- and UAV-Based Approach

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is a crop of significant global economic importance. The primary threat to tomato crops comes from a South American pest known as the tomato leafminer, Tuta absoluta. The larvae are the primary agents of damage, feeding on the mesophyll of the leaves. They can also infest stems, apices, flowers, and fruits, resulting in economic losses of up to 100% if not properly managed. The monitoring of T. absoluta by uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) is becoming a pivotal tool in integrated pest management, enabling the prompt and precise identification of infestation hotspots. Main aim of this research is to test the feasibility of a joined field- and UAV-based approach to monitor T. absoluta infestation investigating the correlation between a set of vegetation indices (VIs) and the level of the infestation. The study area is located in the agricultural experimental centre “Casello” of the regional agency ARSAC (Azienda Regionale per lo Sviluppo dell’Agricoltura Calabrese) of San Marco Argentano, in the province of Cosenza (Calabria, southern Italy). First results of this ongoing research showed correlation between the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and the level of T. absoluta infestation.