ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Sens.
Sec. Sensor Devices
Non Destructive Detection and Localization of Internal Pests in Agricultural Hosts Using Microwave Imaging with Application to Red Palm Weevil
FATIMA ZAHRAE EL ARROUD 1
muhammad zubair 2
Qammer H. Abbasi 3
Karim EL FAKHOURI 4
Youness Zaarour 1
CHAIMAE RAMDANI 1
Mustapha El Bouhssini 1
Hafid Griguer 1
1. Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Ben Guerir, Morocco
2. University of Leicester School of Engineering, Leicester, United Kingdom
3. University of Glasgow James Watt School of Engineering, Glasgow, United Kingdom
4. Universite Mohammed VI Polytechnique, Ben Guerir, Morocco
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Abstract
Red Palm Weevil (RPW) infestations present a major threat to global palm agriculture, causing substantial economic losses and lacking reliable early stage detection tools. Microwave imaging (MWI) is a well-established technique in medical applications, particularly for non-invasive diagnostics such as breast cancer detection and brain imaging. This work presents the innovative use of MWI in the pest detection domain. The potential of MWI for RPW detection is demonstrated through a controlled study where a biologically realistic phantom, replicating the pupal stage of RPW in both geometry and dielectric properties, was embedded in a natural palm trunk. Electromagnetic simulations and experimental validation using a rotating antenna platform confirm that MWI can accurately detect and localize internal RPW infestations, even in challenging scenarios with multiple hidden pupae. These findings highlight MWI as a powerful non-destructive tool for pest detection, offering advanced capabilities for integrated pest management. Keywords: Microwave Imaging, pest detection, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, Red palm weevil infestation.
Summary
Keywords
Antena, microwave imaging, Pest detection, Red palm weevil infestation, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus
Received
07 November 2025
Accepted
10 February 2026
Copyright
© 2026 EL ARROUD, zubair, Abbasi, EL FAKHOURI, Zaarour, RAMDANI, El Bouhssini and Griguer. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: FATIMA ZAHRAE EL ARROUD
Disclaimer
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