Abstract
Understanding the root system architecture of plants as they develop is critical for increasing crop yields through plant phenotyping, and ultra-wideband imaging systems have shown potential as a portable, low-cost solution to non-destructive imaging root system architectures. This paper presents the design, implementation, and analysis of an ultra-wideband imaging system for use in imaging potted plant root system architectures. The proposed system is separated into three main subsystems: a Data Acquisition module, a Data Processing module, and an Image Processing and Analysis module. The Data Acquisition module consists of simulated and experimental implementations of a non-contact synthetic aperture radar system to measure ultra-wideband signal reflections from concealed scattering objects in a pot containing soil. The Data Processing module is responsible for interpreting the measured ultra-wideband signals and producing an image using a delay-and-sum beamforming algorithm. The Image Processing and Analysis module is responsible for improving image quality and measuring root depth and average root diameter in an unsupervised manner. The Image Processing and Analysis module uses a modified top-hat transformation alongside quantization methods based on energy distributions in the image to isolate the surface of the imaged root. Altogether, the proposed subsystems are capable of imaging and measuring concealed taproot system architectures with controlled soil conditions; however, the performance of the system is highly dependent on knowledge of the soil conditions. Smaller roots in difficult imaging conditions require future work into understanding and compensating for unwanted noise. Ultimately, this paper sought to provide insight into improving imaging quality of ultra-wideband (UWB) imaging systems for plant root imaging for other works to be followed.
Highlights
Maximizing crop production yield is critical for meeting global crop demands and maintaining global food security [1,2,3,4,5]
Selective breeding methods rely on the analysis of the gene-environment interactions which are exhibited through physical characteristics in the plants [7]
The compact form and low-cost of ultra-wideband equipment relative to the equipment required for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), X-Ray computed tomography (CT), and positron emission tomography (PET) makes UWB an attractive option for potential use in root phenotyping
Summary
Maximizing crop production yield is critical for meeting global crop demands and maintaining global food security [1,2,3,4,5]. Due to the root’s role in plant development, plant scientists are interested in being able to non-destructively measure and determine crucial characteristics in the RSA in order to breed optimally productive crops which respond well to various environmental stresses. Characteristics such as primary root length [17] and root diameter [18] determine how much access the plant has to stored water and how well the plant can penetrate harder growing mediums. The compact form and low-cost of ultra-wideband equipment relative to the equipment required for MRI, X-Ray CT, and PET makes UWB an attractive option for potential use in root phenotyping.
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