CHARACTERIZATION OF SOME AROMATIC AND MEDICINAL PLANTS SPECIES BASED ON UAV IMAGES

Abstract

The study used imaging analysis to characterize several species of aromatic and medicinal plants. UAV images were taken on five aromatic and medicinal plants species, cultivated by SCDA Lovrin, Timis county, Romania. The biological material was represented by Lavandulua x intermedia (Lavandin), P1; Hyssopus officinalis L., P2, P6; Origanum vulgare L., P3; Thymus serpyllum L., P4; Salvia officinalis L., P5 (P1 to P6 species code in the article). The images were analyzed (four repetitions) and the values of the RGB color parameters were obtained. The ANOVA test confirmed the presence of variance and the safety of the data (F>F crit, p<0.001; Alpha=0.001). The correlation analysis highlighted positive and negative correlations of different intensity levels between RGB parameters and calculated ratios (R/G, R/B, G/R, G/B, B/R, B/G). The variation of G in relation to R was described by a polynomial equation of degree 3 (R2=0.956), and the variation of B in relation to R was described by a polynomial equation of degree 2 (R2=0.736). High variability was recorded in the case of parameter B (CVB=23.44534), plant P3 (Origanum vulgare L.), and low variability was recorded in the case of color parameter G (CVG=2.66030), plant P2 (Hyssopus officinalis L.). Based on PCA, the distribution diagram of plant species in relation to RGB color parameters and calculated ratios, as biplot, was obtained. PC1 explained 66.037% of variance, and PC2 explained 33.095% of variance in relation to RGB, and PC1 explained 58.923% of variance, and PC2 explained 36.46% of variance in relation to the calculated ratios. The cluster analysis facilitated the grouping of plant species (P1 to P6) based on similarity in relation to the RGB color parameter values (Coph.corr. = 0.959).