AI Insight
PesTwin is a simulation framework based on Agent-Based Modeling (ABM) designed to function as a digital twin of pest invasions in agricultural settings. The system integrates laboratory-collected pest biological data, environmental data from weather stations, and GIS field data to forecast insect infestations across both spatial and temporal dimensions. The framework is demonstrated through an application targeting Drosophila suzukii (Spotted Wing Drosophila), an invasive fruit fly that causes significant damage to soft fruit crops worldwide.
Why it matters
This type of tool has direct applications in precision agriculture and Integrated Pest Management, potentially enabling farmers to anticipate and mitigate pest damage with greater accuracy, reducing crop losses and the need for broad-spectrum pesticide use.
arXiv:2603.12294v2 Announce Type: replace
Abstract: In a context of growing agricultural demand and new challenges related to food security and accessibility, boosting agricultural productivity is more important than ever. Reducing the damage caused by invasive insect species is a crucial lever to achieve this objective. In support of these challenges, and in line with the principles of precision agriculture and Integrated Pest Management (IPM), an innovative simulation framework is presented, aiming to become the digital twin of a pest invasion. Through a flexible rule-based approach of the Agent-Based Modeling (ABM) paradigm, the framework supports the fine-tuning of the main ecological interactions of the pest with its crop host and the environment. Forecasting insect infestation in realistic scenarios, considering both spatial and temporal dimensions, is made possible by integrating heterogeneous data sources: pest biodata collected in the laboratory, environmental data from weather stations, and GIS data of a real crop field. In this study, an application to the global pest of soft fruit, the invasive fruit fly Drosophila suzukii, also known as Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD), is presented.
Source: PesTwin: a biology-informed Digital Twin for enabling precision farming