Abstract
Precision agriculture offers innovative solutions for sustainable guava (Psidium guajava L.) production. This study evaluated AI-integrated UAV monitoring with multispectral, thermal, and RGB imaging against traditional scouting in a 2-hectare orchard. UAV surveillance improved pest detection accuracy (92.5% vs. 65%), reduced pesticide use by 30–40%, and increased yield by 20%. NDVI values from multispectral imaging correlated strongly with fruit growth (r = 0.85). UAV monitoring also enhanced fruit size, lowered labor costs by 50%, and achieved a 50% ROI within 2–3 seasons. These results confirm the potential of drone-based monitoring for early pest detection, improved crop health assessment, and cost-effective orchard management in precision horticulture.
