To determine whether peanuts are ripe or not, farmers use a special evaluation system using
The new system works as follows.
The farmer places the samples on the profile board,placing peanut samples in separate grooves. After that, the board must be inserted into the lower part of the portable photo station developed by scientists. By placing the smartphone on top, the user takes a picture of the sample. The mobile app analyzes the color of peanuts and feeds the information to an online database. It also allows the user to customize their report for the district manager by entering information such as field geodata, peanut type, and overall crop status.
This faster assessment tool will allow farmers to constantly monitor the maturity of their crops and take into account factors such as soil type and weather, the researchers said.
“Unripe or overripe peanuts can havehigh levels of aflatoxin, a toxin produced by fungi found on some crops, explains Rui Li, lead author of the study and a graduate of the University of Georgia. If the farmer can continuously monitor the maturity level of the peanuts, he can start the harvesting process at the right time and reduce the yield losses caused by aflatoxin. ”
The researchers conducted 52 tests onsite to verify the accuracy of the system. Compared to people assessing the harvest, the system showed much fewer errors than the human.
The system can be improved in two ways, notescientists. One is to further optimize the lighting conditions to ensure image quality, and the other is to improve the color detection function using a special learning algorithm.
Once enough data has been entered into the database for evaluation, the machine learning algorithms will improveAccuracy of the system.
Developing this system will not only significantly save the time of the peanut farmer, but also improve the quality of the peanut for the consumer.
Don Koehler, Executive Director, Georgia Peanut Commission
“The farmers (who participated in the field trials) were very interested in the benefits of the smartphone app. They love the portability and low cost of the system, ”Lee concludes.
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