title: Using genetically modified tomato crop plants with purple leaves for absolute weed/crop classification.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Weed/crop classification is considered the main problem in developing precise weed-management methodologies, because both crops and weeds share similar hues. Great effort has been invested in the development of classification models, most based on expensive sensors and complicated algorithms. However, satisfactory results are not consistently obtained due to imaging conditions in the field.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We report on an innovative approach that combines advances in genetic engineering and robust image-processing methods to detect weeds and distinguish them from crop plants by manipulating the crop's leaf color. We demonstrate this on genetically modified tomato (germplasm AN-113) which expresses a purple leaf color. An autonomous weed/crop classification is performed using an invariant-hue transformation that is applied to images acquired by a standard consumer camera (visible wavelength) and handles variations in illumination intensities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The integration of these methodologies is simple and effective, and classification results were accurate and stable under a wide range of imaging conditions. Using this approach, we simplify the most complicated stage in image-based weed/crop classification models.
authors.affiliation: Department of Weed Research and Plant Pathology, Agricultural Research Organization, Newe Ya'ar Research Center, Israel; Mapping and Geo-Information Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: Ran N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Lati
authors.forename: Sagi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Filin
authors.forename: Radi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Aly
authors.forename: Tal
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lande
authors.forename: Ilan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Levin
authors.forename: Hanan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Eizenberg
mesh_terms: D007089:Image Enhancement; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D010858:Pigmentation; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D058728:Weed Control / Q000379:methods*
keywords: anthocyanin; hue-invariant transformation; image-processing; site-specific weed management