Precision Agriculture for Dragon Fruit: A Novel Approach Based on Nighttime Light Remote Sensing

Tianhao Zhan, Xiaosheng Liu () and Liang Zhong ()
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Tianhao Zhan: School of Civil and Surveying and Mapping Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou 341000, China
Xiaosheng Liu: School of Civil and Surveying and Mapping Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou 341000, China
Liang Zhong: School of Computer and Information Engineering, Xiamen University of Technology, Xiamen 361024, China

Agriculture, 2025, vol. 15, issue 9, 1-27

Abstract: The dragon fruit industry holds significant market potential and is crucial for rural economic development. However, a comprehensive understanding and precise technical approach for analyzing the spatiotemporal dynamics of dragon fruit agriculture remain lacking. This study utilizes Nighttime Light (NTL) remote sensing data and proposes the Vegetation and Impervious area Adjusted Nighttime light Dragon fruit Index (VIANDI) to extract artificial light sources associated with dragon fruit cultivation. Furthermore, a regression model is constructed to estimate production based on light intensity. By integrating geospatial analysis methods, this study reveals the spatiotemporal evolution of dragon fruit cultivation area and production in Guangxi, China, from 2017 to 2022. The results demonstrate that the proposed method effectively monitors the dynamics of dragon fruit agriculture, achieving a Kappa Coefficient of 0.72 for area extraction and a Mean Relative Error (MRE) of 8.90% for production estimation. The spatial pattern of dragon fruit production follows a northwest–southeast distribution, with its centroid located in Nanning. The spatial expansion of cultivation areas exhibited an initial growth phase followed by stabilization, whereas production distribution transitioned from expansion to aggregation, maintaining an overall upward trend. Notably, 2019 marks a key turning point in these trends. Additionally, the rapid increase in light pollution intensity within cultivation areas warrants further attention. The study results have advanced precise monitoring of dragon fruit agriculture and enhanced understanding of its spatiotemporal evolution patterns.

Keywords: nighttime light remote sensing; dragon fruit agriculture; area extraction; production estimation; spatiotemporal dynamics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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