# Transferring learned patterns from ground-based field imagery to predict UAV-based imagery for crop and weed semantic segmentation in precision crop farming

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2210.11545 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2210.11545/

## Key facts

- No citing papers in the map yet (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 12 of its 44 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 20 Oct 2022.

## Builds on (most cited first, 12 of 12)

- [Adam: A Method for Stochastic Optimization](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1412.6980/) (2014)
- [Fully Convolutional Networks for Semantic Segmentation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1411.4038/) (2014)
- [Delving Deep into Rectifiers: Surpassing Human-Level Performance on ImageNet Classification](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1502.01852/) (2015)
- [DeepLab: Semantic Image Segmentation with Deep Convolutional Nets, Atrous Convolution, and Fully Connected CRFs](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1606.00915/) (2016)
- [SegNet: A Deep Convolutional Encoder-Decoder Architecture for Image Segmentation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1511.00561/) (2015)
- [Learning Deconvolution Network for Semantic Segmentation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1505.04366/) (2015)
- [Deep learning in agriculture: A survey](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1807.11809/) (2018)
- [Real-World Single Image Super-Resolution: A Brief Review](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2103.02368/) (2021)
- [A Survey of Semantic Segmentation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1602.06541/) (2016)
- [weedNet: Dense Semantic Weed Classification Using Multispectral Images and MAV for Smart Farming](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1709.03329/) (2017)
- [WeedMap: A large-scale semantic weed mapping framework using aerial multispectral imaging and deep neural network for precision farming](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1808.00100/) (2018)
- [Fully Convolutional Networks with Sequential Information for Robust Crop and Weed Detection in Precision Farming](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1806.03412/) (2018)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Weed and crop segmentation is becoming an increasingly integral part of precision farming that leverages the current computer vision and deep learning technologies. Research has been extensively carried out based on images captured with a camera from various platforms. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and ground-based vehicles including agricultural robots are the two popular platforms for data collection in fields. They all contribute to site-specific weed management (SSWM) to maintain crop yield. Currently, the data from these two platforms is processed separately, though sharing the same semantic objects (weed and crop). In our paper, we have developed a deep convolutional network that enables to predict both field and aerial images from UAVs for weed segmentation and mapping with only field images provided in the training phase. The network learning process is visualized by feature maps at shallow and deep layers. The results show that the mean intersection of union (IOU) values of the segmentation for the crop (maize), weeds, and soil background in the developed model for the field dataset are 0.744, 0.577, 0.979, respectively, and the performance of aerial images from an UAV with the same model, the IOU values of the segmentation for the crop (maize), weeds and soil background are 0.596, 0.407, and 0.875, respectively. To estimate the effect on the use of plant protection agents, we quantify the relationship between herbicide spraying saving rate and grid size (spraying resolution) based on the predicted weed map. The spraying saving rate is up to 90% when the spraying resolution is at 1.78 x 1.78 cm2. The study shows that the developed deep convolutional neural network could be used to classify weeds from both field and aerial images and delivers satisfactory results.